WHO warns Europe heat deaths

The World Health Organization announced that over 200,000 lives have been lost in Europe due to extreme heat since 2022, labeling heat as a 'silent killer'. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization's Europe director, emphasized that Europe is warming faster than any other continent and that most of these deaths were preventable. The organization launched new guidelines in Berlin, urging authorities to implement effective heat-warning systems, improve urban planning with more green spaces, and adjust work shifts to mitigate exposure. The warning follows recent record-breaking heatwaves in Western Europe, with Spain reporting its highest May heat-related deaths since 2015. Scientists attribute the intensifying extreme weather events to human-driven climate change, underscoring the need for a coordinated institutional response.