Paris: A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed more than 1,300 lives since the climate crisis began on June 21. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), revealed that the severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has resulted in more than 1,300 deaths since the climate crisis began on June 21st. In France alone, over 1,000 deaths from the extreme heat have been reported in just a few days. More than 85% of the deaths were among the elderly, aged 65 and older, and the rate of deaths within their homes has risen by 40%. Overall, more than 150 million people in Europe are currently living under the extreme heat in the south and central regions of the continent.
According to Thai News Agency, extreme heat has sent several countries into record highs. In Germany, the weather station in Ko€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡en, near the Polish border, recorded a record high of 41.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday (June 28), breaking the previous record set just one day earlier. The town of Kublock in Saxony also recorded a record-breaking nighttime temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius, the hottest night on record since records began. In the Czech Republic, a new record high was set in Docany, north of Prague, with a temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius. Similarly, Poland broke its all-time high temperature record with a record of 40.5 degrees Celsius in Slubice, signaling that this heatwave is expanding from Western to Eastern Europe.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization warned that heatwaves, once a "once-in-a-generation" event, are becoming a regular occurrence due to climate change. He noted that Europe is the continent experiencing the fastest temperature rise in the world, warming at twice the global average. He urged European governments to urgently implement Heat Health Action Plans, as most buildings, workplaces, and schools in Europe are not designed to withstand such extreme heat.