Under the title "Heat-related mortality in Europe during 2023 and the role of adaptation in protecting health", a research group led by Elisa Gallo from ISGlobal published a study examining heat-related mortality in Europe during 2023 and the role of climate change adaptation in protecting public health.

The year 2023 was the warmest on record worldwide and the second warmest in Europe. According to a study, an estimated 47,690 people died from heat-related causes in 2023. As outlined in the paper published on Monday in the journal "Nature Medicine" by the Barcelona-based ISGlobal institute, last year had the second-highest number of heat-related deaths in the past ten years. Only 2022 had a higher estimated figure, with more than 60,000.

The study's authors stressed that the figure is an estimate. However, with 95 per cent probability, the number of heat-related deaths in Europe in 2023 falls between 28,853 and 66,525.

For the study, temperature records and mortality data from 35 European countries were analysed. The authors emphasised that the risk is highest for the oldest age groups. More than half of the recorded heat-related deaths occurred during the heatwaves between mid-July and August 2023.

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