Overview

• Researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine led the first rapid mortality attribution study for an active European heatwave
• By comparing observed temperatures in a 1.3°C-warmer world with a preindustrial counterfactual, analysts found peak heat reached 2–4°C higher levels
• An estimated 2,300 people died from heat-related causes between June 23 and July 2, with roughly 1,500 fatalities directly attributable to climate warming
• Individuals aged 65 and older accounted for the majority of heat-related deaths, highlighting the heightened risk to elderly populations
• The findings are driving calls for deeper greenhouse gas cuts and targeted heat-health measures to protect vulnerable urban residents