More than 10,000 people are estimated to have died from heat-related causes in France and Spain during the summer, according to health authorities, as Europe grapples with increasingly frequent and severe periods of extreme heat.

France recorded 5,764 excess deaths during last month’s heatwave, health ministry officials said, a sharp increase from the previous year as temperatures reached record levels across large parts of the country.

In Spain, more than 5,000 heat-related deaths were recorded between June and August, according to data released on Tuesday by the Carlos III Health Institute. The institute estimated that 5,111 people died from causes linked to extreme heat during the period, the highest figure since Spain began keeping comparable records in 2015.

The Spanish total surpassed the previous record of 4,652 deaths, recorded during the same period in 2022.

Health authorities across Europe have warned that prolonged periods of extreme heat pose a serious threat, particularly to older people and those with underlying health conditions. Officials have described the scale of heat-related mortality this summer as unprecedented.

Other European countries have also reported significant numbers of deaths associated with extreme temperatures. Estimates published last week indicated that approximately 14,000 people died in Germany and 8,000 in Italy as a result of extreme heat.

Taken together, estimates suggest that the number of heat-related deaths across Europe this summer could exceed 35,000, although researchers caution that figures from different countries are compiled using varying methodologies.

Scientists say the rising frequency and intensity of heatwaves are consistent with the effects of human-driven climate change. Global warming is increasing average temperatures and making extreme heat events more likely and more severe.

The latest figures have renewed concerns among European governments and public health authorities over the growing health risks posed by climate change, particularly as heatwaves become longer and more frequent. (ILKHA)