Researchers estimate that extreme temperatures were associated with 50,391 deaths in Europe in summer 2026

Extreme temperatures in June-August 2026 were associated with 50,391 deaths in 854 urban areas across 30 European countries, according to an analysis by researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The study was published in the journal Nature Health.

Approximately 65% of the deaths, or 32,619 cases, were attributed to climate warming caused by human activity, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels. The estimated mortality rate was 71% higher than in summer 2022, when 29,480 deaths were calculated, and exceeded the estimate for 2003, of 28,462 cases.

The highest number of deaths was estimated in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. People aged at least 85 accounted for approximately half of the victims, but researchers also identified more than 800 deaths among adults aged 20 to 44. Nearly one-third of the total was associated with the heatwave from June 17 to July 1, when temperatures exceeded usual levels by 5.3 degrees Celsius.

Romania ranked third in terms of the average annual rate of heat-related mortality between 2000 and 2025, after Croatia and Malta. Bucharest ranked second among the capitals analyzed, after Zagreb. The estimates are epidemiological and do not represent the actual number of recorded deaths.