Europe may face ‘more deadly weeks’ as new heatwave builds, WHO warns

(Reuters) – The World Health Organisation warned on Tuesday that Europe could face “more deadly weeks” ahead, with another intense heatwave forming ​over the Atlantic.

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• Temperatures in Portugal and ‌southern Spain are expected to climb to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days.

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• WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge held an ​emergency call on Monday with representatives from 41 countries ​in the region, the European Commission and civil society ⁠groups to discuss lessons from the recent heatwave and ​preparations for the next one.

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• Kluge said in a statement that countries ​with heat-health action plans in place responded more quickly and better protected their populations during the June heatwave.

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• However, he said that less than half ​of WHO’s European member states had such a plan in ​place.

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• Experts have said the June 20-28 heatwave was the most severe recorded in Europe, ‌causing ⁠disruption to power generation, damaging infrastructure and overwhelming healthcare systems.

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• The extreme heat was almost certainly driven by climate change, scientists said.

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• France, the Netherlands and Belgium recorded 3,700 excess deaths, with authorities warning that ​the numbers are ​preliminary and ⁠could rise.

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• Temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Europe during the heatwave.

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• Kluge said care home ​residents, homeless people and socially isolated older adults ​were still ⁠not being reached consistently across Europe.

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• “The work now is on two fronts: fixing what failed in recent weeks before the next ⁠heatwave ​hits and building the kind of health ​systems that don’t just respond to extreme heat but are ready for it,” ​Kluge said.

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