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Marrakech – High temperatures linked to climate change were responsible for nearly 50,000 deaths across Europe in 2023, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The research, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, analyzed temperature and mortality data from 35 European countries.
The study estimated that 47,690 people died due to extreme heat during 2023, the world’s warmest year and Europe’s second-warmest year on record. More than half of these deaths occurred during two intense heatwaves in mid-July and August.
Greece, which battled deadly wildfires, saw the highest heat-related mortality rate with 393 deaths per million people, followed by Italy with 209 deaths per million and Spain with 175 deaths per million.
Lead author Elisa Gallo warned that while adaptations have helped reduce vulnerability, the death toll remains too high. “Europe is warming at twice the rate of the global average – we can’t rest on our laurels,” she said.
The researchers found that without the measures taken by governments since the early 2000s, last year’s death toll would have been 80% higher.
However, scientists stress that more effective strategies are urgently needed to further reduce heat-related mortality as summers continue to get hotter. “Climate change needs to be considered as a health issue,” Gallo emphasized.
The unrelenting global heat has broken records for the past 13 months straight.
Experts caution that 2024 could potentially surpass 2023 as the hottest year in recorded history.
June 2024 was the hottest June on record, with an average global temperature of 16.66°C, 0.67°C above the 30-year average.
In Morocco, a severe heatwave hit several provinces over the last weekend, with temperatures reaching up to 47°C.
Last month, extreme heat was linked to the deaths of 20 vulnerable patients at a hospital in Beni Mellal province, sparking outrage and concern among citizens.
The Ministry of Health has urged people to take necessary precautions, especially vulnerable groups, to prevent heat-related health risks.
