Europe heatwave may have killed over 50,000: Study

More than 50,000 people are estimated to have died during severe heatwaves across Europe in the summer of 2026, with climate change directly linked to more than 32,600 of the deaths, according to a new study.

The findings suggest that this summer may have been the deadliest on record for heat-related deaths across much of Europe.

The results were published in two research papers in the journal Nature Health. Claire Burns, a co-author of the research and a researcher on extreme weather and climate change at Imperial College London, said the summer could rank as the deadliest on record for heat-related deaths in large parts of the continent.

Researchers attributed the deaths to extreme heat intensified by climate change. Global warming, driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels, is increasing the intensity of heatwaves and exposing more people to dangerous temperatures.

The findings emerged weeks before world leaders were due to gather in Türkiye for the United Nations’ annual climate summit. Days earlier, a UN report warned that the world had effectively lost the opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Burns said the world was falling far behind in efforts to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Without rapid action and stronger coordination among countries, she warned, the consequences would become increasingly severe.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, and heatwaves are the deadliest form of extreme weather in the region. From late May to late August this year, much of Europe experienced exceptionally high temperatures.

The study found that western Europe recorded its hottest summer on record, with temperatures averaging around 2.9 degrees Celsius (5.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991–2020 average.

In some countries, temperatures on individual days were more than 12 degrees Celsius above normal.

The researchers’ estimates highlight the growing human cost of extreme heat and the urgent need for measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect vulnerable populations from rising temperatures.