Health-damaging heat stress is increasing in Europe, scientists say

Health-damaging heat stress is increasing in Europe, scientists say

Europe is increasingly facing bouts of heat so strong that the human body cannot cope, as climate change continues to raise temperatures, the EU and World Meteorological Organization’s Copernicus climate monitoring service said on Monday.

In a report on Europe’s climate, Copernicus and the WMO noted last year’s extreme conditions, including a July heatwave that pushed 41% of southern Europe into strong, very strong or extreme heat stress – the largest area of Europe in such conditions on any day on record.

Extreme heat poses particular health risks to outdoor workers, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Parts of Italy recorded 7% more deaths than usual last July, with victims including a 44-year-old man painting road signs in the northern city of Lodi who collapsed and died.

Thermal stress measures the effect of the environment on the human body, combining factors such as temperature, humidity and the body’s response, to create the “feels like” temperature.

Parts of Spain, France, Italy and Greece experience up to ten days of extreme heat stress in 2023, defined as temperatures “feeling like” above 46 degrees Celsius, where immediate action must be taken to avoid heat stroke and other health problems.

Heat-related deaths have increased by around 30% in Europe over the past 20 years, the report said.

The EU environment agency urged governments last month to prepare healthcare systems for climate change and called for EU rules to protect outdoor workers from extreme heat.

Last year was the world’s warmest since records began. Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world.

Greenhouse gas emissions were the biggest cause of last year’s unusual heat, the report said. Factors including the El Nino weather pattern also play a role.

Heat causes extreme weather including flooding, as a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, causing heavy rain when it is released.

Floods in Slovenia last year affected 1.5 million people. Greece experienced the EU’s largest forest fire on record which, at 960 square km, is twice the size of Athens. Alpine glaciers lose 10% of their remaining volume in 2022 and 2023.

“Some events in 2023 surprised the scientific community because of their intensity, speed of onset, extent and duration,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.