European heat wave drives 10,650 excess deaths
More than 9,000 of the victims were 65 or older, with France and Belgium recording very sharp death surges.
The extreme heat wave that peaked on June 22-28 drove 10,650 excess deaths in Europe, according to EuroMOMO data backed by ECDC and WHO. More than 9,000 of the victims were 65 years old and older. Lasse Vestergaard of the Statens Serum Institut Denmark, which runs EuroMOMO, said the surge was difficult to explain by anything other than the extreme heat. The data cover 27 countries and count deaths from all causes, but scientists said there was no other major trigger such as a Covid-19 outbreak during that period. France and Belgium were classified as having very high excess deaths. A separate study by Imperial College London, UK Met Office, and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine also estimated 2,700 heat-related deaths in England and Wales during May-June.