The exacerbation of these effects on living beings was due to humidity, lack of wind, and the heat emanating from concrete buildings in cities.

According to Agence France-Presse, a report released today (Monday) by the European Copernicus Observatory and the World Meteorological Organization states that "the year 2023 set a record in terms of the number of days experiencing severe heat stress, with perceived temperatures exceeding the equivalent of 46 degrees Celsius."

The "heat stress" index takes into account the impact of temperature along with other factors such as humidity, wind, and radiation on the human body.

In addition to heatwaves, Europe recorded a significant number of severe weather events during the year, affecting two million people with floods or storms, while severe droughts affected the Iberian Peninsula and Eastern Europe. The continent's largest forest fire in history destroyed 96,000 hectares in Greece, according to the annual report prepared by Copernicus' Climate Change Service "C3S" in collaboration with the United Nations agency responsible for weather, climate, and water matters.

The report indicated that the losses incurred from these disasters reached 13.4 billion euros, with 80 percent attributed to the floods that occurred in a year with much higher than average rainfall rates.

Health Impact

The report particularly focused on the health impact of heatwaves, as summers become hotter due to global warming, causing increased fatalities in Europe.

Climatologist Rebecca Emerton from Copernicus said, "We are observing an upward trend in the number of days experiencing heat stress in Europe, and 2023 was no exception," with this new record not specified in the report.

To measure thermal comfort, C3S and the World Meteorological Organization used the Global Heat Stress Index, which represents the heat exposure to the human body, taking into account not only temperature but also humidity, wind speed, sunlight, and heat emitted from the surrounding environment, particularly noticeable in cities where prevalent materials (concrete, asphalt) absorb larger quantities of sunlight.

The index, expressed as an equivalent "perceived temperature" in Celsius, includes 10 different categories: from severe cold stress (more than -40) to severe heat stress (+46), through no heat stress (between 9 and 26).

Long exposure to heat stress can increase the risk of diseases, particularly posing a danger to vulnerable people.

Current Measures Insufficient

On July 23rd, when the heat was at its peak, 13 percent of Europe experienced at least one degree of heat stress, an unprecedented event.

Severe heat primarily hit southern Europe, where air temperatures reached 48.2 degrees Celsius in Sicily, just 0.6 degrees below the continental record.

The number of deaths associated with the heat in 2023 has not yet been determined, but the report noted that tens of thousands of people have died in Europe during the hot summer months of 2003, 2010, and 2022.

Climate warming, resulting from greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, is increasing the intensity, duration, and frequency of heatwaves.

This phenomenon is particularly evident in Europe, which is warming twice as fast as the global climate, now more than 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than before the industrial era.

The report warns that rising temperatures in Europe, along with an aging population and an increase in urban dwellers, will have "severe consequences for public health," adding that "current measures to combat heatwaves will not be sufficient."

Globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record, a result driven by climate change exacerbated by the return of the El Niño phenomenon.

Ocean temperatures, which absorb 90 percent of the excess heat from human activities, reached unprecedented levels over the past year.