Overview
- EuroMOMO estimated about 16,000 more deaths than expected during a late‑June week of extreme heat across Europe, with France and Belgium singled out for the highest national spikes.
- Belgium recorded its worst heatwave mortality on record and Wallonia experienced more than 900 excess deaths between mid‑June and July 1 with roughly 85 percent of those deaths among people aged 65 or older.
- Hospitals in affected areas were strained with patients lined in hallways, many emergency rooms lacking air conditioning, and medical staff reporting textbook‑level heat emergencies.
- Medical groups said emergency call lines had long waits of up to 10 minutes while the interior minister said average waits fell after extra staff were added, exposing gaps in surge capacity and coordination.
- Experts say the deaths reflect social and structural weaknesses — low incomes, social isolation and housing designed for heating not cooling — and warn that climate change will make such deadly heat episodes more frequent unless rapid housing and health‑system changes are made.