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A recent study examining 854 major cities has found that human-induced climate warming accounted for around two-thirds heat-induced fatalities in Europe this past summer.

Research Results and Methodology

Public health experts and climate scientists linked over sixteen thousand out of 24,400 heat deaths from June to August to the exceptionally hot weather caused by carbon emissions.

The rapid assessment, which uses established scientific methods, determined that global warming increased city temperatures 2.2°C higher on average, significantly raising the number of deaths from dangerously hot conditions.

“The causal chain from fossil fuel burning and increased temperatures along with higher death rates is undeniable,” stated a climate scientist. “Without continued using fossil fuels in recent years, the majority of the estimated deaths wouldn’t have occurred.”

Impact on At-Risk Groups

Researchers revealed that senior citizens proved to be the most impacted by the extreme temperatures, including eighty-five percent of the deceased aged more than sixty-five years old and 41% above 85.

“The vast majority of heat deaths occur in residences and medical facilities, in which people with existing medical issues are pushed to their limits,” noted a public health specialist. “However, heat is seldom mentioned in official records.”

Individual Cases

Several victims who lost their lives outdoors have been named in regional news reports. One elderly man from Spain collapsed while walking in August, amid weather reaching 45°C.

A second case involved a middle-aged parent with four children in Italy’s north, that died while laboring at a building project near a major city, where temperatures rose to 38°C on that date.

“He phoned his wife to tell her he would come home to prepare lunch,” recalled his son. “That he would arrive around midday.”

Community Risks and Appeals for Action

Researchers caution that the public health risk posed by extreme heat remains underestimated, despite mounting evidence of the deadly effects.

“Nobody would expect a person endangering themselves working in a storm or gale-force winds,” remarked an expert. “But dangerous heat continues to be treated too casually.”

Although European cities are more prepared to handle extreme heat compared to during 2003, response teams face challenges to keep pace with rising temperatures and a growing elderly population.

Medical professionals recommend city-specific action plans when heatwaves, additional parks in cities, and better access to air-conditioning among vulnerable groups, such as older individuals.

“If we don’t taking immediate action, the toll will rise,” stated an adaptation expert. “It is essential to urgently eliminate fossil fuels and introduce measures safeguarding people most vulnerable from ever-more lethal heatwaves.”