With over 50,000 heat-related deaths, two-thirds of which are attributed to climate change, the summer of 2026 was the deadliest in European cities

The summer of 2026 has been the deadliest in Europe, with over 50,000 urban deaths linked to heatwaves, two-thirds attributed to climate change. This toll surpasses previous heatwaves in 2003 and 2022, highlighting the severity of this summer's record heat. An unprecedented study published in Nature Health by researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine analyzed data from 854 urban areas across 30 countries, representing 40% of the population. The actual death toll may be significantly higher than reported by health authorities in countries like France and Germany, which recorded over 8,000 and 16,000 heat-related deaths, respectively.