More than 1,300 excess deaths have been linked to the heatwave sweeping Europe, the World Health Organization said, as record temperatures pushed past 40C in multiple countries – and the UK, which broke its own June heat record three days running, now faces a surge in mental health concerns.
The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on X that the figure had been recorded since 21 June, when abnormally high temperatures began in France, Germany and Italy. “Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling,” he wrote. “Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures.”
“WHO links 1,300 excess deaths to Europe heatwave; UK June record broken three times.”
Germany experienced its hottest day ever on Sunday, with 41.7C recorded in Coschen near the Polish border. The Czech Republic set its second record in two days, hitting 41.1C at Doksany. Poland also broke its all-time record with 40.5C in Slubice. France’s national health ministry reported around 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday, with a 40% rise in people dying at home, mostly among those aged 65 and over.
Tedros warned that Europe is “the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average”. He called on countries to implement heat health action plans, adding: “Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is now occurring nearly annual.”
In the UK, the British record for June heat was broken three consecutive days, peaking at 37.3C in Santon Downham on Friday, according to the Met Office. The extreme heat is now receding – temperatures in London are expected to fall below 20C on Monday night for the first time in several days. But the psychological impact appears to be rising: UK Google searches for “seasonal affective disorder” have surged by 285% in the past 24 hours.
Dr Corné Hurter, medical director at AXA Health, said summer SAD – a form of depression triggered by intense heat – can cause heightened emotions, decreased energy and disrupted sleep. “While summer SAD is less common than its winter counterpart, prolonged periods of hot weather can affect mental wellbeing in a number of ways,” she said. “Heat can disrupt sleep, increase physical stress on the body and interfere with normal daily routines, all of which may contribute to symptoms.”
The NHS describes SAD as a type of depression that typically occurs in winter but can affect some people in summer. With the UK having sweltered through one of the hottest Junes on record, the question now is how many more will feel the heat long after the mercury falls.