Statista
Temperatures started to soar in Spain last week with its first heat wave this summer, reaching up to 44°C. Heat waves can have dramatic effects, especially on the elderly and people with health problems. In a study published in The Lancet in March this year, the excess mortality of over 85s was compared in several European cities (854 in total) during extreme temperature events between 2000 and 2019.
Among the 30 European capitals analysed, Paris had the highest risk of excess mortality among the elderly during heat waves (relative risk of 1.603). Amsterdam (1.595) and Rome (1.572) ranked closely behind the French capital, while Madrid (1.402) was also among the most dangerous capitals for the elderly during extreme heat waves.