Brussels, July 13, 2026 – The Europe Today: More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the record-breaking heatwave that swept western parts of the continent in late June, according to official mortality data released by EuroMOMO, a network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The data showed that more than 9,000 of the excess deaths occurred among people aged 65 years and older, underscoring the heightened vulnerability of older populations to extreme heat.
The figures are based on national mortality statistics from 27 European countries and cover all-cause excess deaths during the week of June 22–28, when the heatwave reached its peak in countries including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and several other parts of Europe.
Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, described the scale of the increase as highly unusual for this time of year.
“To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It’s really high,” Vestergaard said.
Health experts note that extreme heat can be fatal by causing heat stroke or by worsening existing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, with elderly people among those at greatest risk.
Scientists have also warned that the late-June heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without human-induced climate change, which they say is increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events across Europe.
The latest findings add to growing concerns over the public health impacts of climate change and highlight the need for stronger preparedness measures to protect vulnerable populations during increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.
