CLIMATE
48,000 Europeans died from hot weather last year
August 13, 2024 - Heatwaves worsened by pollution killed an estimated 47,690 Europeans last year, with the continent warming more quickly than other parts of the world, according to new research.
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As wildfires tear through forests near Athens and France issues excessive heat warnings, a new report published by Nature, determines that almost 48,000 people died from heat-related conditions last year.
Researchers found heat-related mortality in 2023 was highest in Greece, with 393 deaths per million people, followed by Bulgaria with 229 deaths per million and Italy with 209 deaths per million.
Heatwaves in Europe are growing hotter, lasting longer and becoming more common as humans continue to burn fossil fuels and devastate nature.
The result is an atmosphere choked with gases that act like a greenhouse to heat the Earth – 2023 was globally the hottest year on record, and scientists expect 2024 to overtake it.