WHO warns Europe faces ‘deadliest weeks’ as new heatwave builds

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Europe could face its “deadliest weeks” of the summer as a new heatwave develops over the Atlantic, threatening large parts of the continent. However, Portugal’s national weather agency says the country is unlikely to experience the most extreme temperatures forecast.

The warning comes after one of Europe’s most severe heatwaves on record in late June, which placed health systems under intense pressure and is linked to thousands of excess deaths across several countries.

According to Público, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge warned that Portugal and southern Spain could see temperatures reach 43°C “in the coming days”.

But Portugal’s Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has offered a more reassuring forecast, saying current weather models do not indicate such extreme conditions for Portuguese territory.

Portugal expected to remain outside hottest zone

IPMA meteorologist Jorge Ponte told Público that the WHO’s warning should be understood as a regional assessment rather than a country-specific forecast.

While a fresh heatwave is expected to affect several parts of Europe, Portugal is forecast to remain outside the most intense core of the event.

According to IPMA, an upper-level low-pressure system northwest of the Iberian Peninsula will draw cooler Atlantic air across Portugal, helping to moderate temperatures, particularly along the coast.

For this weekend and the first half of next week, temperatures are expected to remain close to seasonal averages.

Elsewhere, atmospheric circulation is forecast to push very hot air from North Africa across inland Spain, France, Italy and much of the Mediterranean region, raising the risk of prolonged extreme heat.

WHO calls heat a public health emergency

Despite Portugal’s relatively favourable outlook, the WHO says the broader European threat remains significant.

Hans Kluge convened an emergency meeting on extreme heat involving representatives from 41 countries in the WHO European Region, the European Commission and several civil society organisations.

The participation of more than 130 delegates, he said, reflects growing recognition that extreme heat must be treated “as a public health emergency, not merely a meteorological event”.

The WHO said the June heatwave exposed weaknesses in healthcare systems, public infrastructure and protection for vulnerable groups across Europe.

Countries with dedicated heat-health action plans generally responded more effectively by issuing earlier warnings, coordinating agencies more efficiently and providing stronger protection for at-risk populations.

Heat plans ‘save lives’

The WHO highlighted several examples of good practice.

Italy operates a mortality surveillance system covering 45 cities, providing decision-makers with near real-time information during heat emergencies.

Spain has worked directly with journalists to improve public communication about health risks linked to extreme temperatures.

Austria activated an updated national heat plan incorporating workplace protections and coordinated national and regional responses. Belgium declared its highest heat alert level for only the second time since 2020, while France’s cross-sector coordination helped ease pressure on hospitals and emergency services.

In North Macedonia, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams were mobilised to support homeless people during the heatwave.

“When plans are in place and tested before a crisis, they save lives,” said the WHO.

Such plans combine weather forecasting with public health measures, reinforcement of healthcare services, targeted support for vulnerable groups and coordination across health, social care, housing, employment and urban planning authorities.

Less than half of countries prepared

The WHO warned that fewer than half of the countries in its European Region have adopted national heat and health action plans, leaving millions of people more vulnerable as climate change drives more frequent and intense heatwaves.

Among the shortcomings identified are limited public awareness of personal health risks, shortages of cooling centres and poor communication about where people can seek relief during extreme temperatures.

The organisation said isolated elderly people, care home residents and homeless populations remain among those most at risk.

Some countries also face bureaucratic delays in formally declaring heatwaves, potentially slowing emergency public health responses.

Thousands of excess deaths

According to Reuters, the heatwave between June 20 and 28 was one of the most severe ever recorded in Europe, disrupting energy production, damaging infrastructure and placing unprecedented strain on health services.

Preliminary figures indicate that France, the Netherlands and Belgium recorded around 3,700 excess deaths during the period, although those estimates may yet be revised upwards.

For the WHO, the figures underline that extreme heat is no longer an exceptional weather event but an increasingly permanent public health threat across Europe.

While Portugal may escape the worst of the next heatwave, the organisation’s broader warning is clear: as heatwaves become more frequent, more intense and more deadly, countries’ preparedness—not simply peak temperatures—will increasingly determine how many lives are lost.

As for the current heatwave, only today abating, authorities are pointing to around 200 deaths, translating into only 62 more than would be habitually expected during this period.

Sources: Público/ Correio da Manhã/ Executive Digest