Scientists Say Heat Stress is Rising to Dangerous Levels in Europe

The temperature of Europe has been on the rise with bouts of intense heat that are too much for the human body to cope with. The rising temperature is one of the effects of climate change, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring service. 

WMO and Copernicus presented Europe’s climate report for last year. The report noted that last July's heatwave was the hottest on record and pushed 41% of southern Europe into strong, very strong, or extreme heat stress. On record, it was the biggest area in Europe to record such conditions in any day.

Extreme heat is hazardous to health, especially for outdoor workers, the elderly, and people with underlying diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. At least 7% more fatalities were recorded in parts of Italy last July. One of the victims was a 44-year-old man painting road markings when he slumped and died. The incident happened in the northern town of Lodi.

Heat stress establishes a “feels like” temperature

Scientists use heat stress to measure the impact of the environment on the human body. They use a combination of factors including temperature, humidity, and how the body responds to these factors to establish a “feels like” temperature.

Last year, parts of France, Greece, Italy, and Spain experienced extreme heat waves that lasted up to ten days. It was described as “feels like” 46 degrees Celsius. At that point, immediate action must be taken to avoid health issues including heat stroke.

In the last two decades, it has been reported that deaths from heat stroke have increased by around 30%. Last month, the EU’s environment agency urged governments in the region to prepare healthcare systems for climate change. The agency also pushed for EU rules to safeguard outdoor workers from extreme heat.

El Nino weather patterns contributed to last year being the hottest

Since scientists started keeping records, last year was the hottest and Europe was named the world’s fastest-warming continent. According to the report, the biggest cause of last year’s heat was greenhouse gas emissions. However, El Nino weather patterns also played a role.

“Some of the events of 2023 took the scientific community by surprise because of their intensity, their speed of onset, extent, and duration,” said the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Carlo Buontempo.

The rising temperatures meant the atmosphere could hold more moisture leading to heavier downpours and flooding. At least 1.5 million people were affected by the floods in Slovenia. Greece was hit hardest by record wildfires which affected 960 square kilometers—or twice the size of Athens. Alpine glaciers shed 10% of their remaining volume in 2022 and 2023.