Deadly heatwave kills at least 1,700 in Spain, Portugal: WHO

Geneva,  (UNI/Sputnik) No fewer than 1,700 people have died in Spain and Portugal during recent heatwave, as exposure to extreme temperatures exacerbates underlying health conditions, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said on Friday.
“This year, we have already witnessed more than 1700 needless deaths in the present heatwave in Spain and Portugal alone,” Kluge’s statement read.
As the cause behind many of these deaths, he noted that extreme heat exposure often exacerbates existing health conditions. Heatstroke and other serious forms of abnormally high body temperature cause distress and premature death, with infants and children, as well as the elderly, at greater risk.
Kluge also noted that wildfires sparked by extreme heat are of particular concern, since they are occurring even in northern Europe, notably in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, with fires in London having destroyed 41 houses this week.
“This scorching summer season is barely halfway done,” he warned.
This is the second heatwave sweeping across Europe in July and scientists are saying that climate change and the greenhouse effect are largely responsible for longer and hotter summers in the continent not accustomed to it. Transport, roads and buildings in many European countries are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures. The scorching heat has also triggered wildfires, which are ravaging large swathes of forest in France, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain.
UNI/SPUTNIK