New research estimates over 61,000 heat related deaths in Europe in 2022. And that comes after heat alerts and other climate adaptation measures implemented after the massive death toll of 73,000 from the 2003 heatwave.
What will the summer bring for Australia? With record temperatures being set around the world (see June climate signals and records), and ElNino formation boosting temperatures.
Meanwhile Australia is approving new thermal coal and gas, and continues fossil fuel subsidiaries to the tune of $11billion per year with no public plan to phase these subsidies out.
Will heat related deaths be at a similar level in 2023 in Europe?
Will we see a similar number of heat related deaths in the southern hemisphere summer?
What should also be noted is that climate impacts are not gender neutral. Research has found that older women died at higher rates than men.
The Guardian reports further:
"There are people that would have died anyway, but those are not counted with this methodology,” said Joan Ballester, an associate research professor in climate and health at Barcelona Institute for Global Health and lead author of the study. “We are talking about people for whom the occurrence of these temperatures triggered their death.”
"Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, the head of the climate and health research group at the University of Berne, who was not involved in the study, praised the analysis but said the true death toll may be even higher.
"The researchers used weekly data on temperature and mortality that diluted the effects of short-term spikes, she said. One study that used daily data for Spain estimated 10% more heat-related deaths for the country than the weekly data suggested. A separate study by Vicedo-Cabrera and colleagues, published on Tuesday, showed an even bigger effect in Switzerland, where the estimate from daily data was double that of the estimate from weekly data.
"Both the Swiss and Europe-wide studies found that women, and particularly older women, died at higher rates than men. Pollution from burning fossil fuels and destroying nature upped the death toll, the Swiss research also showed. “We found 60% of the observed deaths can be attributed to climate change,” said Vicedo-Cabrera.
Read more at: Heatwave last summer killed 61,000 people in Europe, research finds
References:
- Ballester, J., Quijal-Zamorano, M., Méndez Turrubiates, R.F. et al. Heat-related mortality in Europe during the summer of 2022. Nat Med (10 July 2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02419-z https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02419-z
- The Guardian, 11 July 2023, Heatwave last summer killed 61,000 people in Europe, research finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/10/heatwave-last-summer-killed-61000-people-in-europe-research-finds
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