Barcelona ranks second in Europe for climate-related deaths during heatwave

Barcelona registered the second-highest number of deaths attributable to climate change during the recent European heatwave, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at Imperial College London.

The study found that between June 23 and July 2, there were 340 heat-related deaths in the Catalan capital, 286 of which were directly linked to climate change.

Researchers concluded that global warming pushed Barcelona’s average temperature during the heatwave to 29ºC, three degrees higher than under normal climate conditions.

Analyzing 12 major European cities, the report attributed 84% of heat-related deaths to climate change. Overall, the heatwave caused around 2,300 deaths across Europe, with 1,500 linked to global warming.

Milan recorded the highest number of climate-related deaths (317), followed by Barcelona (286), Paris (235), London (171), Rome (117), Madrid (108), Athens (96), Budapest (47), Zagreb (31), Frankfurt (21), Lisbon (21), and Sassari (6).

The study also found that 88% of the deaths linked to climate change during the heatwave were among people over the age of 65.

Using peer-reviewed methods and historical mortality data, the researchers estimated heat-related deaths, many of which are not officially recorded, including cases where extreme heat aggravated existing health conditions.