Europe reported more than 10,000 excess deaths during June’s record-breaking heatwave, new data showed, with analysts bracing for a higher toll as forecasts point to higher temperatures.
Recent mercury spikes have also led to wildfires across much of Southern Europe, including blazes that killed 13 in Spain last week. Meanwhile firefighters are racing to contain “very virulent” wildfires outside of Paris.
Elsewhere, El Niño, a warm weather pattern originating in the Pacific Ocean, has led to warnings of soaring temperatures and an ensuing food price shock that could last for years. “El Niño could add a new layer of pressure later this year, as it amplifies the effects of global warming,” Italian bank UniCredit said in a research note.
