Study Links Europe’s Summer Heat to More Than 50,000 Deaths
A new study indicates that Europe's extreme heat this summer is linked to over 50,000 deaths, with climate change being blamed for approximately two-thirds of these fatalities.
Sioux Falls, SD, October 23, 2026 —
A new study indicates that extreme heat in Europe this summer was linked to more than 50,000 deaths. The study attributes approximately two-thirds of those fatalities to climate change, according to the information provided.
The reported figures describe deaths associated with the heat and an estimated share attributed to climate change. The summary does not provide the study’s title, authors, publication date, or the methods used to calculate either figure. It also does not specify which countries or time period were included in the analysis.
The estimate is presented as a finding of a study, but the available information does not explain how researchers distinguished deaths linked to extreme heat from other causes, or how they assessed climate change’s contribution. No breakdown by country, age group, or other population characteristics was provided.
The study’s source and underlying data were not identified in the summary. Further details about the research would be needed to assess the scope of the estimate and how the attribution was made. The information provided does not include statements from researchers or other experts, nor does it describe any response to the findings.
Based on the available details, the central finding is an estimated toll of more than 50,000 deaths linked to Europe’s extreme heat this summer, with climate change attributed approximately two-thirds of the total. The year in which “this summer” occurred was not specified.
Story summarized from the original created by The Associated Press on www.npr.org, see more information here.
Media gallery
