Europeans dying from hot weather 30% more than two decades ago
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A recent report reveals that "extreme heat stress" has hit Europe, pushing temperatures to record highs.
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Children cool off in a public fountain in Milan, Italy on July 15, 2023. (AP)
Europe experienced an unprecedented number of days with "extreme heat stress" due to scorching weather, surpassing previous records, as reported by the EU's Copernicus Earth observation program and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Monday. This surge in temperatures was exacerbated by heat-trapping pollutants present in the atmosphere.
Europeans are facing unprecedented heat during the day and discomforting warmth at night, as highlighted in a joint State of the Climate report by the two organizations. The report reveals a concerning trend: the death rate attributed to hot weather has surged by 30% in Europe over the last two decades.
“The cost of climate action may seem high,” said WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo as quoted by The Guardian, “but the cost of inaction is much higher."
Additionally, the report noted that temperatures across Europe were higher than usual for 11 months in 2023, with September marking the warmest on record. The scorching and arid conditions contributed to extensive wildfires, which devastated villages and enveloped distant cities in smoke. Firefighters faced especially intense blazes in parched southern nations like Portugal, Spain, and Italy.
Greece experienced the EU's largest recorded wildfire, scorching 96,000 hectares of land, as per the report.
Intense rainfall resulted in fatal floods, with Europe experiencing approximately 7% more rainfall in 2023 compared to the average of the past three decades, as per the report. Meanwhile, one-third of its river systems exceeded the "high" flood threshold, while one-sixth reached "severe" levels.
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While the influence of global warming on heavier rainfall is not consistently evident, warmer air can hold more moisture, potentially leading to more intense storms. However, the interplay of intricate climatic shifts can affect the availability of water for precipitation.
In contrast, the correlation between heatwaves and global heating is more pronounced. Although the report did not provide specific figures for the death toll due to heat in 2023, scientists estimated an additional 70,000 deaths in 2022 attributed to heat-related causes.
Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who was not involved in the report, said as quoted by The Guardian that the number of heat-related deaths in 2023 is likely to have been higher. She emphasized that for many of these fatalities, the additional heat caused by fossil fuel emissions could have been the determining factor between life and death.
The release of the report follows a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Switzerland's inadequate climate policies infringed upon the human rights of a group of elderly women who are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves.
This ruling sets a precedent that exposes all European governments to potential legal action compelling them to implement policies aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) above preindustrial levels by the end of the century.
In addition to underscoring the severe climate impacts, the researchers also highlighted the unprecedented level of electricity generated from renewable sources. In 2023, renewables accounted for 43% of electricity production, marking a significant increase from 36% the previous year.
