Climate study warns of 2.3m more temperature-related deaths in Europe by 2099
Climate study warns of 2.3m more temperature-related deaths in Europe by 2099
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Rising deaths from extreme heat will “far exceed” reductions in numbers dying from cold temperatures in Europe with climate change, researchers suggest. A study modelling the change in deaths related to high and low temperatures found that there could be more than 2.3 million excess deaths across hundreds of European cities by the end of the century if urgent action is not taken to cut emissions.
While efforts to adapt cities to rising temperatures would not be enough to curb increased health risks due to exposure to heat, up to 70% of the excess deaths could be avoided if climate change was limited, the researchers said. The study found that in some parts of the continent, such as the UK and Ireland, there would be a net reduction in deaths, as a fall in people dying in cold weather outstripped a rise in mortality due to extreme heat.
London would see 27,455 fewer deaths by the century’s end in the face of climate change, according to the analysis led by the Environment and Health Modelling (EHM) Lab at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). But the study warned that the lower death toll in some parts of Europe would be massively outweighed by the increase in the rest of the continent – with the Mediterranean, central Europe and the Balkans particularly vulnerable.
Barcelona, Rome , Naples and Madrid would be among the cities with the highest death tolls from rising temperatures by the end of the century, the modelling found, while many other smaller cities in Malta, Spain and Italy would also be badly affected.
