Europe records over 10,000 excess deaths as heat waves grip globe; US under emergency

Tourists seek shade in central Madrid, Spain, on Thursday amid an intense heat wave. [AP]

The world is reeling from record-breaking heat waves. More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe in just one week, while about 58 million Americans fell under heat alerts. As the extreme heat drags on, nuclear power plants have been shut down and a wave of wildfires and drowning accidents has spread damage in all directions.

The toll came during the week of June 22–28, when the heat wave gripping the continent peaked, driving excess deaths past 10,000 across 27 countries. Excess mortality measures how many more people die than would be expected in a normal period; while individual causes of death are not always known, analysts say the heat is almost certainly responsible.

Visitors outside the Louvre Museum in Paris use umbrellas for shade on June 25 as an intense heat wave continues across France. [Getty Images]

More than 9,000 of those excess deaths involved people aged 65 or older. Experts cite the record heat as the primary driver of the surge.

Dr. Lasse Vestergaard of EuroMOMO — a mortality surveillance network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the WHO — said the scale of excess mortality at this time of year was highly unusual. "It is very difficult to explain this by anything other than the extreme heat," he said.

Country-level figures underscore the severity. Germany's Robert Koch Institute estimated that heat-related deaths, including heatstroke, reached at least 5,120 this year. In England and Wales, roughly 2,700 people were estimated to have died from heat-related causes over May and June combined.

The heat wave has also disrupted power grids and transportation. Électricité de France shut down three nuclear reactors and reduced output at eight others because of the heat, according to AFP and other reports. French nuclear plants draw river water for cooling and then discharge the warmed water back — but as river temperatures climbed under the heat, environmental regulations required some reactors to halt operations. It was the second such shutdown in a matter of weeks, following a record heat wave last month.

Tourists walk near the Eiffel Tower in Paris carrying fans on Saturday amid the heat wave. [AP]

The heat has put major tourist attractions on emergency footing as well. The Eiffel Tower closed early at 4 p.m. on weekends despite being in peak season, while the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay also cut their operating hours.

Surfers ride waves at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California, on Friday. [AFP]

Drowning deaths have also jumped as more people seek relief in the water. German authorities said 99 people drowned in the country in June alone, with most victims being young men — the worst drowning toll in 23 years, since the record heat wave of 2003 struck Germany. In France, 131 people have drowned since June 19.

A satellite image released by Planet Labs PBC shows a wildfire burning in a mountainous area of southern France, photographed Wednesday. [AFP]

Wildfires have swept across Europe as well. In France, a blaze broke out in the Fontainebleau forest about 60 kilometers southeast of Paris, burning roughly 1,000 hectares. Fatalities from a major wildfire in the Andalusia region of southern Spain are also rising.

The United States is suffering through similarly unprecedented heat. About 58 million residents fell under heat alerts as the heat wave that struck the western US last weekend reached its peak, CBS News reported. In Billings, Montana, temperatures soared to 43 degrees Celsius, setting an all-time record for the city.

Scientists view the current heat waves as a prime example of extreme weather driven by climate change. Global warming is disrupting ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns, they warn, making heat waves more intense and longer-lasting — and such extreme weather events are likely to become far more frequent in the years ahead.

mokiya@heraldcorp.com