Extreme heat kills more than 175,000 people a year in Europe - here's how to stay safe when travelling in a heatwave. Europe's scorching hot summer is showing no signs of cooling down, with Italy facing its warmest weekend of the year so far and heatwave warnings issued in southern France. It's causing more than just discomfort: a recent from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that extreme heat is killing more than 175,000 people a year in Europe.
In June, this was laid bare when British TV presenter and health guru Michael Mosley, as well as four other tourists, while hiking in Greece’s historic early heatwave. As temperatures soar above 40C from Italy to Spain, prompting extreme and sparking , Euronews Travel asks health and hiking experts how to stay safe while walking in high temperatures. In June, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist who was found dead on the eastern island of Samos after going for a walk; the following day, a 55-year-old American tourist’s body was found on the Greek island of Mathraki, west of Corfu.
Earlier that month on the island of Crete, a Dutch tourist, aged 67, and a French tourist, 70, both died while walking in the . With Europe’s changing weather patterns, even tour companies themselves are having to adapt. “We can no longer hike in some countries from June to September as the heat starts earlier - for example is sometimes 40 degrees in June,” says a spokesperson from female-led activity holiday specialist WalkingWomen.
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