Europe’s unprecedented early‑summer heatwave has been linked to more than 1,300 excess deaths since 21 June, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday, as temperature records continued to fall across the continent.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X that the fatalities were “linked to high temperatures in Europe,” warning that heat stress is often called the “silent killer” and that homes, workplaces and schools were not built for such extremes.
France’s national health ministry reported around 1,000 additional deaths since Wednesday, noting many victims were aged over 65. Officials said deaths at home had risen 40 per cent, reports BBC.
Tedros cautioned that “Europe is the fastest‑warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average,” adding that millions were “living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling.”
“Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
He said they should focus on preparedness, prevention and stronger health system responses.
Germany endured its hottest‑ever day for the third consecutive day, with 41.7°C recorded at Coschen in eastern Brandenburg near the Polish border at 16:00 local time.
The Czech Republic set its second record in two days with 41.1°C at Doksany, north of Prague, while Poland logged an all‑time high of 40.5°C in Slubice, according to the national meteorological institute IMGW.
The Czech institute CHMI said the heat was expected to peak Sunday, with storms forecast later in western regions.
WHO reiterated that climate change was driving the extreme weather, underscoring Europe’s rapid warming.
