A recent heat wave in Europe has been linked to the deaths of an estimated 1,500 people across 12 cities.
Researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that human-caused climate change, primarily from burning fossil fuels, has made European heat waves up to 4°C (39.2°F) hotter. This intensification is believed to have tripled the number of heat-related deaths between June 23 and July 2.
This marks the first time a rapid analysis—a method that assesses how climate change influences specific extreme weather events—has been applied to a heat wave. But as the analysis only included a limited number of cities, scientists warn the actual number of deaths across Europe may be in the tens of thousands.
The globe is warming up, with summers getting hotter every year. According to the World Meteorological Organization, climate change is driving these rising temperatures in various parts of the world, with serious consequences. Wildfires destroy homes and take lives, extreme heat threatens the food supply, and the elderly are especially at risk. And in Europe and Central Asia, half of all children face frequent heat waves—twice the global average of one in four children.
To find out more about the biggest heat waves ever, read up on the hottest days in history in this gallery.