Europe heatwave linked to 16,000 excess deaths as wildfires and drought grip continent

Story Timeline
10 days · 11 summary articles
A weeklong heat wave in Europe this June caused around 16,000 excess deaths, according to an analysis by the European Mortality Monitoring Network, with most fatalities occurring in northern countries like France, Belgium and Germany .
The New York Times reported that the heat wave exposed a lethal lack of preparedness in Belgium and neighboring countries, a risk now compounded as another wave hits Europe . In Belgium, 1,650 hectares of forest burned in a single blaze, while France maintained orange-level heat alerts in 64 departments through Sunday morning .
Germany recorded nearly 12,000 heat-related deaths this summer, while Ireland experienced its driest July on record, with 20 Met Éireann weather stations reporting absolute drought conditions . Wildfires scorched woodlands, crops withered, and homes overheated, with a video from Kildare Wildlife Rescue showing a frog killed by one of the blazes. Environmentalist John Gibbons noted that five hot spells in one summer would have been considered impossible until the 2030s, but the climate now appears in a “phase shift,” accelerating faster than expected .
Central Europe faced temperatures near 42 degrees Celsius, forcing Romania to shut down nuclear plants due to low water levels, while French vineyards saw crops wither . In London, a stench from untreated sewage lingered for weeks as drought conditions prevented the usual flushing of waste through the system. Barbara Evans, chair of public health engineering at Leeds University, compared the sewer network to a “giant intestine,” where microbial decomposition now occurs in the pipes rather than at treatment works .
France’s power prices jumped 22% as the heat wave reduced nuclear output . Meanwhile, Austria recorded its highest temperature ever at 41 degrees Celsius in Vienna, and Spain endured its hottest month on record in July .
In Germany, intensivists warned that heat-related deaths are significantly undercounted, as heat is rarely listed as a cause on death certificates . The German Weather Service forecast temperatures up to 37 degrees Celsius in Berlin and Brandenburg on Saturday, with thunderstorms expected to bring some relief by Sunday .
Follow us for live European news
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
6 further sources not geolocated










