The series of intense heat waves over the European summer did not just result in unpleasant times for European citizens. The record-breaking heat resulted in more than 35,000 to 40,000 heat-related and excess deaths across the continent.
The summer was Europe’s hottest on record. Triple-digit temperatures were commonplace in many countries; even in places like London, England.
Germany was especially impacted by the heat waves. They overwhelmed the country’s healthcare and emergency response systems resulting in an estimated 16,000 heat-related deaths during the summer.
Many other countries saw excess mortality. France reported more than 7,300 excess deaths, Spain more than 4,500, Italy between 5,000 and 8,000, and nearly 3,000 in the United Kingdom.
The Extreme Weather Congress that met in September in Hamburg concluded that while advanced weather technology provides accurate forecasts of potentially dangerous high temperatures, the country’s adaptation efforts and emergency response capabilities fall short of what is increasingly needed.
The report went on to explain that Germany’s building, cooling, water, and transportation infrastructure was built for a climate that no longer exists, and that the country’s health system is not heat-resilient. Infrastructure being built today needs to be resilient to temperatures that could approach 120 degrees over the next 25 years.
Germany is by no means unique in this regard. Adaptation measures are needed across Europe and in other temperate regions that have previously not had to deal with persistent and frequent heat waves.
**********
References:
Mass Heat Wave Deaths in Europe Show Climate Extremes Are Outpacing Adaptation Efforts
