Extreme weather events are becoming more common. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned that if nothing is done, heatwaves could kill 90,000 Europeans each year.
This warning comes as the World Health Organization reported on Monday that the hot weather in Europe has been responsible for at least 15,000 deaths this year.
The reports say that the three months of June through August were the hottest in Europe, and the continent experienced its worst drought since the Middle Ages as a result of the record-breaking heat.
According to the agency, 129,000 Europeans died as a result of heat-related causes between 1980 and 2020. The figure is based on data from insurance companies.
This figure, however, is expected to rise in the coming years, particularly in the continent’s south due to more frequent heatwaves linked to climate change, an ageing population and growing urbanisation.
Aside from the threat of heat, the EEA warned that climate change could make Europe more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
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