Who warns Europe faces ‘more deadly weeks’ as heatwave builds again

The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Europe could face "more deadly weeks" due to an intense heatwave forming over the Atlantic.
• Temperatures are forecast to reach 43 degrees Celsius in Portugal and southern Spain in the coming days.
• WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge held an emergency call, highlighting that less than half of European member states possess heat-health action plans, which proved effective during the recent June heatwave.
• The June 20-28 heatwave, deemed Europe's most severe on record and linked to climate change, resulted in 3,700 excess deaths in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with figures expected to increase.
• Kluge stressed the urgency of addressing recent failures and developing health systems prepared for extreme heat, particularly to protect vulnerable populations such as care home residents and socially isolated older adults.