Excess deaths in Europe top 10,000 during late-June heatwave | News. az
More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the record-breaking heatwave that swept across the western part of the continent in late June, according to official data. Figures published by. . .
More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the record-breaking heatwave that swept across the western part of the continent in late June, according to official data. Figures published by EuroMOMO, a mortality monitoring network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), showed that more than 9,000 of the excess deaths occurred among people aged 65 and older,News. Azreports, citingReuters. Extreme heat can be fatal by causing heat stroke or worsening cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, with older adults considered among the most vulnerable groups. RECOMMENDED STORIESPresident Aliyev: 'Expanding Azerbaijan's presence on global gas market is a part of our overall strategy'Azerbaijan needs long-term contracts before boosting gas supplies to Europe, Aliyev saysPresident Aliyev: 'If Azerbaijan leaves Council of Europe completely, no one in the country will even notice it' -VIDEOAzerbaijani wrestler claims U20 European gold"To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It's really high," Lasse Vestergaard, chief physician at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, told Reuters. "It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat," Vestergaard added. Scientists have said the late-Juneheatwavewould have been "virtually impossible" without human-induced climate change, which is making heatwaves more frequent and more intense. The data, compiled from national mortality statistics across 27 European countries, covered all-cause excess mortality during the week of June 22-28, when the heatwave reached its peak in France, Spain, the United Kingdom and several other countries. Researchers said there were no other major known factors, such as COVID-19 outbreaks, that could explain the surge to 10,650 excess deaths recorded during that week. By comparison, the same group of European countries recorded an average of around 500 fewer deaths than expected per week over the previous eight weeks. EuroMOMO noted that the figures may be revised as additional data become available. The late-June heatwave disrupted power supplies, forced school closures and shattered temperature records in France, Spain and the United Kingdom. While EuroMOMO does not publish country-specific mortality figures, it reported that France and Belgium were the only two European countries to register "very high excess" mortality during the final week of June. Belgium recorded its highest excess mortality during a heatwave since records began in 2000, according to the country's public health institute, Sciensano. A separate scientific study published on Monday estimated that around 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales alone during the May and June heatwaves. According to researchers from Imperial College London, the UK Met Office and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 42% of those deaths were attributable to the additional heat caused by global warming. News. AzBy Nijat Babayev