Is there a ‘silent killer’ attack in Europe amid summer? More than 1,300 deaths, fight for AC

Europe is in the grip of record breaking heat these days. This severe heatwave, which started from South-Western Europe, has now spread to Eastern Europe and is creating new temperature records every day. The mercury has reached above 40 degrees Celsius in many countries including France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic and Lithuania. This heat wave has so far killed at least 1,300 people in Europe, with more than 1,000 deaths recorded in France alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this figure may increase further. Because complete reporting of deaths in hospitals and homes is still pending…

Most serious situation in France: 1000 deaths in three days

The most terrible form of this heatwave has been seen in France. France’s public health agency Cent Public France announced on Sunday (June 28) that more than a thousand deaths have been recorded in the country since June 24. These deaths mainly occurred during the three hottest days of the last week.

More than 85% of these deaths are elderly people above 65 years of age. Paris and Ile-de-France areas have been most affected. The most troubling thing is that among these deaths, the number of deaths occurring in homes was 40% more than normal. That means people could not reach hospitals and died in their own homes.

The French Health Agency has warned that these are preliminary numbers. This number may increase further after complete reporting of deaths in hospitals, nursing homes and homes. At least 74 people have also died by drowning in rivers, lakes and other bodies of water during the heatwave in France.

France’s national temperature index reached 29.8 degrees Celsius, the highest since measurements began in 1947. 44 crore people of France (almost the entire population of the country) are under heat alert.

WHO warning: 1,300 deaths and the arrival of ‘silent killer’

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on social media platform X that more than 1,300 deaths have been recorded across Europe since June 21. He warned that heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ because it kills silently, without making any big noise.

Tedros said, ‘Europe is the world’s fastest warming continent, warming at twice the global average. Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds of people have died, schools are closed and power grids are collapsing. He also said that heatwaves that used to occur once in a generation are now occurring almost every year.

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average. Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling.

Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the…

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 28, 2026

WHO has appealed to European countries to implement effective ‘Heat-Health Action Plan’. WHO and Europe recently presented their new heat-health action plan guidance in Berlin. According to WHO, in the last 4 years, more than two lakh people have died due to heat in Europe alone.

Fight for AC in summer, political debate heated up

Due to the scorching heat, the demand for air conditioners and fans is skyrocketing in many European countries including France and Italy. Most homes in Europe are not designed to withstand extreme heat. AC rates are very low here.

Sales of fans and ACs have increased rapidly at big retailers like Carrefour and Amazon. Technicians are receiving so many orders for installation that it is difficult to meet the demand. Mitsubishi Electric told Reuters that air conditioner sales have been very strong in Europe, especially in France, Spain, the UK and Germany.

Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen is advocating the installation of air conditioners with subsidies on a large scale to protect the elderly and vulnerable groups. At the same time, the Green Party, which was traditionally against AC, has also admitted that now air conditioning has become necessary to some extent.

Left parties argue that large-scale use of ACs will put too much pressure on the electricity system and will make the climate crisis worse by increasing hot air in cities. This debate has become a big issue ahead of the 2027 French presidential elections.

Temperature records broken in Eastern Europe

This heat has now spread to Eastern Europe and is creating new records every day. On June 28:

• Lithuania: In the country’s southern city Druskininkai, the temperature was recorded at 36.3 degrees Celsius, which is the highest temperature so far in the month of June. The previous record was 35.7 degrees Celsius.
• Republica Checa: The temperature in Doksany, north of the capital Prague, was recorded at 41.1 degrees Celsius. This became a new record for the second consecutive day.
• Poland: The temperature in Slubice city was recorded at 40.5 degrees Celsius. If this figure is officially confirmed, it will be the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. The capital Warsaw recorded 37.6 degrees Celsius, breaking the city’s 2013 record.