London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

15,700 Deaths In Europe In 2022 Linked To Heatwaves: UN's Climate Change Report

15,700 Deaths In Europe In 2022 Linked To Heatwaves: UN's Climate Change Report

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), an agency of the United Nations, in its report said real-time data from specific locations show that levels of the three greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - continued to increase in 2022

Record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases have led to increased incidences of droughts, floods and heatwaves on a global scale, the World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) annual report for 2022 said. At least 15,700 deaths in Europe in 2022 were linked to heatwaves.

The WMO, an agency of the United Nations, in its report said real-time data from specific locations show that levels of the three greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - continued to increase in 2022.

Droughts, floods and heatwaves affected communities on every continent and nation including India and cost many billions of dollars, the report said. Antarctic sea ice fell to its lowest extent on record and the melting of some European glaciers was, literally, off the charts, it said.

Global mean temperatures for the past eight years have been the highest on record; in 2022, it was 1.15 degree Celsius above the 1850-1900 average.

"While greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and the climate continues to change, populations worldwide continue to be gravely impacted by extreme weather and climate events," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement today.

"For example, in 2022, continuous drought in East Africa, record breaking rainfall in Pakistan and record-breaking heatwaves in China and Europe affected tens of millions, drove food insecurity, boosted mass migration, and cost billions of dollars in loss and damage," Mr Taalas said.

Top row: Monthly globally averaged mole fraction (measure of atmospheric concentration), from 1984 to 2021, of (a) CO2 in parts per million, (b) CH4 in parts per billion and (c) N2O in parts per billion. Bottom row: The growth rates representing increases in successive annual means of mole fractions for (d) CO2 in parts per million per year, (e) CH4 in parts per billion per year and (f) N2O in parts per billion per year.


The report said the monsoon onset in India was earlier and the withdrawal later than normal in 2022. The pre-monsoon period was also exceptionally hot in India and neighbouring Pakistan.

The extreme heat reduced grain yields and led to a number of forest fires, particularly in the hill state of Uttarakhand, the report said.

"Heatwaves in the 2022 pre-monsoon season in India and Pakistan caused a decline in crop yields. This, combined with the banning of wheat exports and restrictions on rice exports in India after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, has threatened the availability, access to and stability of staple foods within international food markets and posed high risks to countries already affected by shortages of staple foods," the WMO report said.

There was also significant flooding in India at various stages during the monsoon season, particularly in the northeast in June 2022, with over 700 deaths reported during the season from flooding and landslides, and a further 900 from lightning.

Near-surface temperature differences between 2022 and the 1991-2020 average. The map shows the median anomaly calculated from six data sets.


China had the most extensive and long-lasting heatwave since national records began, extending from mid-June to the end of August 2022, and resulting in the hottest summer on record by a margin of more than 0.5 degree Celsius. It was also the second-driest summer on record, with most of the southern half of China - apart from Guangdong province - having seasonal rainfall 20 per cent to 50 per cent below average.

Europe also experienced numerous heatwaves, with significant heatwaves occurring in each of the three summer months. During the summer, around 4,600 deaths in Spain, 4,500 in Germany, 2,800 in the UK among those aged 65 and older, 2,800 in France and 1,000 in Portugal were associated with the unusual heat, the report said. The most exceptional heatwave occurred in mid-July 2022.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×