Europe's heat waves claim thousands of lives
Extreme heat and drought grip Europe.
1Europe's climate crisis
Europe is grappling with both extreme heat and drought this summer. Heat waves have claimed thousands of lives while rivers and soils dry up. This situation is testing the measures taken since the deadly heat wave of 2003.
2Historic temperature records
According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record. The heat wave broke monthly and all-time temperature records in several countries.
3Impact of climate change
An analysis by the World Weather Attribution group revealed that such extreme heat would have been 'virtually impossible' without global warming. The likelihood of such temperatures has increased tenfold compared to 2003.
4Health impacts
Data from the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control show that over 16,000 deaths were recorded in 27 European countries in June. The majority of these deaths were among people aged 65 and older.
5Effects on agriculture and economy
Extreme heat and drought are also negatively affecting crops. France is experiencing its lowest maize harvest in 50 years, while Romania has lost over one million hectares of maize.
6Water resources at risk
River water levels are hitting record lows. The flow of the Rhine River in the Netherlands reached its lowest level in July. This situation is adversely affecting cargo transport and hydroelectric power generation.
7Alarm for the future
Experts emphasize that current measures cannot keep pace with the speed of climate change. Extreme heat not only threatens human health but also agriculture, the economy, and infrastructure.