A severe heatwave that recently scorched large swathes of Western Europe has resulted in an estimated 2,300 heat-related deaths across 12 major cities, according to a scientific assessment.
Researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say climate change played a direct role in making the event deadlier.
Spanning a ten-day period that ended on July 2, the heatwave pushed temperatures beyond 40°C (104°F) in parts of Spain and ignited wildfires in France. Of the estimated fatalities, nearly 1,500 were linked specifically to climate change, which scientists say intensified the heat and its impact.
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“Climate change has made it significantly hotter than it would have been, which in turn makes it a lot more dangerous,” said Dr. Ben Clarke, one of the lead researchers from Imperial College London.
The study focused on 12 cities, including London, Milan, Madrid, and Barcelona, where researchers found that global warming had raised local heatwave temperatures by up to 4°C. The analysis relied on historical mortality records and established epidemiological models to estimate the excess deaths, accounting for cases where extreme heat worsened existing health conditions.
June 2025 was confirmed as the third-hottest June on record globally, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, with Western Europe experiencing its warmest June ever. Large parts of the continent were under “very strong heat stress,” defined as conditions that feel like 38°C or more.
The findings come as Europe grapples with increasing heat-related mortality. In 2023, a separate report estimated that more than 61,000 people died during Europe’s record-setting heatwaves in 2022. Despite growing awareness, experts warn that heat preparedness across many countries remains inadequate.
