In Italy deaths from extreme heat are above the European average
In Europe, heat waves cause 175,000 deaths each year. Numbers that are destined to grow with rising temperatures and the intensification of the climate crisis. The crisis has exactly one of the “hot spots” in the old continent, given that global warming is running at twice the rate of the rest of the planet. Today, deaths from extreme heat and high temperatures in Europe account for more than one-third of the world’s total. “Thro the region, in its 53 member states, people are paying the highest price,” says World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge.
Deaths from extreme heat, WHO estimates
Globally, the WHO estimates that the deaths from extreme heat are 489 thousand every year, an average of the data for the period 2000-2019. Europe alone is therefore responsible for 36% of all deaths due to too high temperatures. So much so that “heat stress” is “the main cause of climate-related death in the region,” the agency stresses.
The health impact is known: extreme temperatures aggravate chronic conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebrovascular diseases, mental health and diabetes-related conditions. Extreme heat is a problem especially for the elderly, and especially those who live alone. It can also be an additional critical factor for pregnant women.
“The development of heat–health action plans is a crucial adaptation process, making communities more resilient to heatwaves. More than 20 countries in the Region have such plans in place. While this is encouraging, it is not enough to protect all communities“, the WHO further stresses.
Europe in the face of extreme heat This step is even more crucial if you consider the trend of global warming and the indicators that most affect heat deaths. According to data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Europe is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world.
In recent decades, the continent has been one of the regions most affected by extreme heat deaths. A study by Monash University published in 2024 calculated that Italy, Greece, and Malta were the countries with the most excessive heat deaths worldwide from 1990 to today. The global average of heat deaths compared to total deaths is 1 per cent, and the European average is 1.96 per cent. And in Italy it rises to 2.47%.
According to a report prepared by Istat and Greenpeace, in 5 years, between 2019 and today, the number of Italians exposed to extreme temperatures has doubled, from 4.4 to 8.4 million. In Europe, the number of people exposed to heat waves has increased by 57% over a decade, mainly in large urban centers due to the urban heat island effect.