Europe experienced record number of ‘extreme heat stress’ days, warns report – Euractiv

Over the past two decades, extreme heat-related mortality in Europe has increased by around 30%, according to a joint report by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published on Tuesday April 22. ).

As climate change accelerates, so do its effects on human health. “The climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our generation. The cost of climate action may seem high, but the cost of inaction is much higher,” said Celeste Saulo, Secretary General of the WMO, in the report.

Data from Copernicus and the WMO show that in 2023, Europe experienced a record number of days when the heat felt was ‘extreme’ for the human body, due to temperatures above 35°C or 40°C.

Across Europe, temperatures were above average for 11 months a year, including the warmest September on record, the report showed. As a result, 2023 saw a record number of days with ‘extreme heat stress’.

Heat waves have an impact on human health. They compromise the body’s ability to regulate temperature and can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and hyperthermia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Last summer, “at the height of a heat wave in July, 41% of southern Europe was affected by at least ‘severe heat stress’, with possible health consequences,” the Copernicus report said.

Overall, heat-related mortality in Europe has increased by about 30% over the past two decades.

In addition to heat waves impacting the health of European citizens, 63 people died in 2023 as a result of storms, 44 as a result of floods and 44 as a result of forest fires, according to the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), which estimates that fThe 2023 floods affected an estimated 1.6 million people in Europe.

“In 2023, Europe witnessed the largest wildfire on record, one of the wettest years, severe marine heatwaves and widespread devastating flooding. Temperatures continue to rise, making our data increasingly important in preparing for the impacts of climate change,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S, in the report.

In 2023, economic losses related to weather and climate change were estimated at more than €13.4 billion.

Vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing in Europe

During the COVID-19 confinement, many infectious pathogens were also suppressed; The opening up of society and vaccine hesitancy are increasing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough (whooping cough).

(Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic)

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