Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Article (news)

Raphael Bosano

ABS-CBN News

QUEZON CITY – More than 1,300 deaths have been linked to the ongoing extreme heat across Europe since June 21, as health and weather experts warned that temperatures are expected to remain well above seasonal averages in the coming weeks.In a post on X, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Europe is warming faster than any other continent, leaving millions of people exposed to dangerous heat.&quot;Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average. Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling,&quot; Ghebreyesus said.He also noted that many homes, schools, and workplaces across Europe were not designed to withstand prolonged periods of extreme heat.The WHO is urging governments to strengthen and implement Heat Health Action Plans (HHAPs), describing extreme heat as the deadliest natural hazard in the European Region because of its effects on both physical and mental health.Lachlan McIver, health adviser at the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Office, said prolonged heat becomes especially dangerous when temperatures remain high overnight.&quot;Prolonged exposure over several days, particularly when temperatures remain high at night, means the body enters each new day already stressed,&quot; McIver said.He said older adults, young children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals with chronic illnesses face the highest risk, although anyone can be affected during extended periods of extreme heat.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/6/29/europe-swelters-as-heatwave-moves-east-excess-deaths-rise-0108">Europe swelters as heatwave moves east, excess deaths rise</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/6/25/europe-swelters-under-record-breaking-heatwave-1006">Europe swelters under record-breaking heatwave</a></div><div>EIGHT KEY MEASURES</div>The WHO&#x27;s Heat Health Action Plan recommends eight key measures, including stronger governance, early warning systems, protection of vulnerable populations, effective risk communication, resilient health systems, reducing heat exposure, surveillance and monitoring, and continuous evaluation.Scientists have warned that climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that extreme heat events will continue to increase, underscoring the need for stronger early warning systems and heat action plans.John Kennedy, head of information at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said Europe has already warmed by about 2 degrees Celsius over the past 50 years.&quot;In the 50 years since the historic heatwave in 1976, Europe as a whole has warmed by around two degrees. It&#x27;s the fastest-warming continent and extremes of temperature have increased too,&quot; Kennedy said.According to the WMO, the current heatwave, which originated over the Iberian Peninsula, is expected to spread across much of Western, Central, and Southern Europe over the next two weeks.Forecasts show temperatures ranging from 3 to 10 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages, with daytime highs exceeding 35 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures remaining above 20 degrees Celsius in many areas.Countries expected to be affected include Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, southern parts of the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania.Experts emphasized that heatwaves are more than just a series of hot days. Persistently high daytime and nighttime temperatures prevent the body, buildings, and the environment from cooling down, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, wildfires, and added strain on power grids and water supplies.

More than 1,300 deaths have been linked to the ongoing extreme heat across Europe since June 21, as health and weather experts warned that temperatures are expected to remain well above seasonal averages in the coming weeks.

More than 1,300 deaths have been linked to the ongoing extreme heat across Europe since June 21, as health and weather experts warned that temperatures are expected to remain well above seasonal averages in the coming weeks.

Over 1,000 deaths linked to extreme heat in Europe

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Over 1,000 deaths linked to extreme heat in Europe

Raphael Bosano,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 29, 2026 10:53 PM PHT

Read More:

Extreme heat

Europe

heatwave

World Health Organization

World Meteorological ORganization

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