Summer 2026 was Europe's deadliest on record: Over 50,000 people died in urban areas - with climate change responsible for two thirds of deaths, study estimates

Summer 2026 was Europe's deadliest on record, a new study has confirmed. Scientists from Imperial College London predict that over 50,000 people died in urban areas across 30 countries, including the UK, as a result of extreme heat.According to the experts, climate change was responsible for about two thirds of these deaths. Dr Clair Barnes, Extreme Weather and Climate Change Researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London said: 'I think we can be quite confident in stating that the summer of 2026 is likely to have been the worst on record for heat–related mortality across much of Europe. 'These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health. 'Behind these statistics are real people whose lives were lost and real families who grieve for them.' Summer 2026 was Europe's deadliest on record, a new study has confirmed. Scientists from Imperial College London predict that over 50,000 people died in urban areas across 30 countries, including the UK Looking at specific regions, southern and western Europe had the highest death rates, while 4,500 deaths occurred in typically cooler countries, such as the UKOver the summer, Europe was hit by a series of extreme heatwaves.Western Europe had its hottest summer on record, with average temperatures reaching 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 average. In two studies, researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine set out to understand exactly how many excess deaths this extreme heat caused. The team looked at 854 urban areas that make up about 40 per cent of the population of the 30 countries studied. Using temperature records and modelling, they were able to estimate exactly how many heat–related excess deaths occurred in each area during the summers from 2000 to 2026. Their results revealed that over this summer, 50,391 excess heat deaths occurred in the 854 areas studied.That figure is substantially higher than the previous worst years of 2003 and 2022, during which 28,000 and 29,000 excess heat deaths occurred, respectively. Late June was especially severe, with almost a third of all deaths estimated to have occurred between 17 June and 1 July, when daily average temperatures were a staggering 5°C above average. Over the summer, Europe was hit by a series of extreme heatwaves. Western Europe had its hottest summer on record, with average temperatures reaching 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 average. Pictured: wildfires in southeastern France on July 28 To understand the role climate change played in these excess heat deaths, the researchers compared the temperatures that occurred in each urban area with those that would have been expected without the addition of greenhouse gases. The results suggest that climate change was responsible for two–thirds of heat–related deaths this yearLooking at specific regions, southern and western Europe had the highest death rates, while 4,500 deaths occurred in typically cooler countries, such as the UK.In terms of the victims, the majority of people (44,000) who died in the heat were elderly, while the reamining 6,000 were under–65. 'We know that those who are older, very young or have pre–existing morbidities face the highest dangers from exposure to extreme heat,' said Professor Andrew Hartle, from Imperial College.'But the temperatures we are increasingly seeing pose a threat to healthy people too. 'We need to ensure we are informing the public of this, and rolling out measures to protect people during the most extreme temperatures.'To understand the role climate change played in these excess heat deaths, the researchers compared the temperatures that occurred in each urban area with those that would have been expected without the addition of greenhouse gases.The results suggest that climate change was responsible for two–thirds of heat–related deaths this year. For comparison, earlier in the century, it was estimated to be responsible for about 40 per cent. Dr Pierre Masselot, from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said: 'This summer has been another dramatic reminder that climate change is everybody's problem. 'It is not just hot regions that are suffering anymore with some parts of Western and Northern Europe experiencing extreme heat and historically high health burden. 'And the whole population is affected, as shown by the significant death toll among younger age groups. 'It is becoming increasingly clear our cities are poorly adapted to rising heat, and it is critical we improve our efforts towards adaptation. 'This means cooling the cities through more green spaces and less pollution, and providing health care for affected populations.'