A study of deaths during this year's heatwaves, published on 23 October 2026, states that the heat in Europe contributed to the deaths of around 50,000 people. According to the study, more than 32,000 of the deaths were caused directly by climate change. Southern and western Europe were affected most. Older people and those with chronic illnesses were hit hardest, but the high temperatures were also fatal for hundreds of people of middle and younger age.
According to the study's co-author Clair Barnes, the average temperature in Europe was 2.5 degrees higher than before the industrial revolution. According to iDNES.cz, the scientists call for a rapid transition to renewable energy sources, changes in agriculture and an end to deforestation. The iROZHLAS website reported figures for Czechia, where, according to the study, more than 400 people died in 2026 in connection with the heat.
Chronology
- — According to a study on deaths during heat waves intensified by climate change, more than 400 people died in Czechia in 2026 and more than 30,000 in Europe. iROZHLAS iDNES.cz