A heatwave in The Netherlands in July caused about 1 000 more deaths than a normal July, the Dutch statistics office said on Wednesday.
The statistics office said an average of 2 730 people died each week in July — the hottest month since Dutch records started in 1706 — compared with a normal figure of about 2 500.
Average temperatures in July were 6,6 degrees Celsius above the long-term average. As temperatures fell in the first week of August, the number of deaths decreased.
Each increase in the average temperature of one degree Celsius resulted in an estimated extra 22 deaths of women and nine deaths of men a week, the data showed.
The Dutch KNMI meteorological institute has forecast a clear warming trend in the next 50 years and an increasing number of heatwaves. — Reuters