KATHMANDU: A new study has found that extreme temperatures in Europe led to 50,391 deaths during this year’s summer season.

Researchers determined that approximately two-thirds of these fatalities were linked to climate change driven by human activity. The study, which monitored 854 cities across Europe between June and August, attributed 32,619 deaths to temperature increases caused by climate change.

This figure represents a 71 percent increase compared to the 29,480 heat-related deaths recorded in the summer of 2022. Researchers noted that the actual death toll could be significantly higher, as the study covered only about 40 percent of the European population.

Claire Barnes, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and lead author of the study, stated that rising temperatures from burning fossil fuels have turned normally uncomfortable heat into a dangerous and life-threatening condition. Europe’s temperatures have risen by 2.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, with some cities experiencing temperatures 12 degrees Celsius above average this summer.

The highest number of heat-related deaths occurred in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. More than half of those who died were aged 85 or older. However, study co-author Garifalos Konstantinidis noted that over 800 people between the ages of 20 and 44 also died due to the heat.

By comparing real-world mortality data with computer models simulating a climate without human-induced changes, researchers estimated that the proportion of heat-related deaths attributed to climate change has risen from 45 percent in the early 2000s to 65 percent today. Experts suggest that authorities should expand heat early warning systems, improve access to cooling facilities and provide better support for vulnerable populations. They also emphasized the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which remains the primary driver of climate change.