The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring agency said on Monday that as climate change continues to raise temperatures, Europe is increasingly experiencing severe spells of heat that the human body cannot handle it, according to Reuters.
The most regions of Europe to experience strong, very strong, or intense heat stress in a single day on record was 41% of southern Europe during a heatwave in July, according to a study on Europe's climate by Copernicus and the WMO.
People who work outside, the elderly, and those with pre-existing medical illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are more vulnerable to the negative health effects of extreme heat.
In July of last year, there were 7% more deaths than usual in some parts of Italy. One death was a 44-year-old man who was painting road markings in the northern town of Lodi when he fell and passed away.
Heat stress establishes a "feels like" temperature by integrating factors such as temperature, humidity, and the body's reaction to determine the effect that the environment has on human health.
In 2023, there were up to 10 days of extreme heat stress in several parts of Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. Extreme heat stress is defined as a temperature that "feels like" it is over 46 degrees Celsius, at which time action must be taken right away to prevent heat stroke and other health problems.
According to the report, throughout the past 20 years, deaths in Europe from heat-related causes have increased by almost 30%.
Last month, the European Union's environment agency called on governments to prepare healthcare systems for the effects of climate change and to establish EU regulations to safeguard outdoor workers from intense heat.
The world recorded its warmest year ever last year. The fastest-warming continent in the globe is Europe.
The report stated that the primary cause of the unusually high heat experienced last year was greenhouse gas emissions. El Nino weather patterns were among the factors that also contributed.
Because a warmer atmosphere can contain more moisture and produce greater downpours when it is released, the heat is a major contributor to extreme weather, including floods.
1.5 million People in Slovenia were affected by floods last year. At 960 square kilometres, the wildfire in Greece was twice the area of Athens and was the largest in EU history. In 2022 and 2023, alpine glaciers lost 10% of their remaining volume.
According to Carlo Buontempo, head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, "Some of the events of 2023 took the scientific community by surprise because of their intensity, their speed of onset, extent, and duration."
