The hot summer of 2026 in Europe cost some 50,000 people their lives, according to British researchers ‘ estimates, thus becoming the deadliest recorded wine. Almost two thirds of the victims (65 percent), according to researchers, are directly linked to climate change.

For research, researchers from Imperial Grantham Institute in Britain and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine measured excessive mortality caused by high temperatures.

Data from 854 urban areas in the 27 member states of the European Union, as well as Great Britain, Norway and Switzerland, was used as a base. The surveyed regions live at about 40 percent of the total population of these 30 countries.

16,000 heat victims in Germany

By comparison, in the hottest years recorded so far, some 29,000 people lost their lives in the heat in 2022 and some 28,000 in 2003. The hardest – hit countries in southern and Western Europe were. Even in the more traditionally fresh states, however, thousands of victims were registered. For Great Britain, researchers estimate some 4,500 high – temperature deaths.

For Germany, also Robert Koch Institute ( RKI) Berlin published similar figures in mid – September. Some 16,000 people have lost their lives during this summer in Germany.

According to British scholars, June 2026 had particularly dramatic consequences in Europe. According to their estimates, almost a third of all deaths caused by the heat were recorded between June 17th and July 1st.

During this time, temperatures averaged five degrees Celsius higher than the average reference period 1991-2020. This remarkable heat wave is considered to be one of the main factors that made the summer of 2026 the most lethal of the heat in Europe since the beginning of records.

Not Just the Elderly Lost Their Life

We can say with considerable certainty that the summer of 2026 was more severe than the beginning of the records of heat – related mortality in large parts of Europe, said Clair Barnes, extreme weather researcher and climate change at Imperial College. After these statistics, the faces of people who have lost their lives and families mourn their loss, she added.

According to researchers, the heat effects did not affect only the elderly. They estimate that some 6,000 of the 50,000 heat victims were under the age of 65.

It is becoming increasingly clear that our cities are unsuitable to rising temperatures, and it is crucial to strengthen efforts to adapt, noted epidemiologist Pierre Masselot of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. This means refreshing cities through more green spaces and less pollution and guaranteeing necessary medical care for the population. )

Source Layer: RTKLive