Heatwave: WHO: ‘More than 1,300 deaths in Europe in a week’
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explains that Europe “is the continent warming fastest on Earth, with temperatures rising twice as fast as the global average”
The heat shows no sign of letting up. Quite the contrary. On Sunday, 18 Italian cities were on high alert. The Ministry of Health’s bulletin on heatwaves paints a picture of a country that can’t catch its breath: of the 27 provincial capitals monitored, not a single one is in the clear.
Cities
Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Milan, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Venice, Verona and Viterbo are at Level 3, the highest level: emergency conditions with potential effects not only on the most vulnerable groups – the elderly, children and those with chronic illnesses – but on the general population. Six other cities – Cagliari, Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo and Trieste – remain at level orange.
Visits to A&E
On the health front, the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome recently reported that one in four visits to the paediatric A&E department is attributable to high temperatures. This figure reflects a systemic strain: prolonged heat accelerates dehydration in young children and exacerbates chronic conditions in the elderly, with delayed admissions complicating hospital management.
Europe is warming faster than elsewhere: ‘1,300 deaths since 21 June’
“Since 21 June, more than 1,300 excess deaths linked to high temperatures have been recorded in Europe.” This was stated by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in X, explaining that “it is the continent warming fastest on Earth, with temperatures rising twice as fast as the global average”. “At this moment, 150 million people are living through extreme heatwaves”, often “called ‘the silent killer’: European homes, workplaces and schools were not built to cope with these temperatures.”
“The WHO is working with its Member States and partners to tackle the health threats posed by extreme heat, focusing on preparedness, prevention and stronger responses from health systems. In particular,” he added, “we are encouraging European countries to implement heat-related health action plans as part of a broader agenda to protect health against climate change.”
