Heat deaths in Europe may triple by end of the century, study finds

If global heating reaches a catastrophic 3C or 4C, the researchers concluded, the rise in heat deaths will greatly outstrip the fall in cold deaths. Picture: AP/Charlie Riedel

Heat deaths in Europe could triple by the end of the century, with the numbers rising disproportionately in southern European countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain, a study has found.

Cold kills more people than heat in Europe, and some have argued climate change will benefit society by reducing those deaths. But the study, published in the Lancet Public Health, found the death toll would respond slowly to warming weather and may even rise through people growing older and more vulnerable to dangerous temperatures.

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