A team of researchers, led by Imperial College London, examined the results of a 10-day period in which an extreme heatwave hit Europe, from June 23 to July 2.
The researchers analyzed data from 12 major cities across Europe, including London, Paris, Athens, Madrid, and Rome. They found that climate change caused the heatwave in Europe to be 1 to 4 degrees Celsius hotter than it would have been otherwise.
The scientists then used research on the correlation between heat and daily deaths to estimate how many people lost their lives. The result was particularly grim: According to the researchers, at least 2,300 people died in Europe during the 10 days of extreme heat - 1,500 more deaths than the estimated number of victims without the recent climate changes.
According to the study, Milan was the city hardest hit by the human-driven climate change. In Milan, 499 deaths were recorded, with researchers attributing 317 of them to climate change in recent years.
Following Milan, Paris and Barcelona recorded hundreds of deaths due to climate change in just 10 days. In London, 273 heat-related deaths were recorded, with researchers attributing 171 of them to human impact on the climate.
Malcolm Mistry, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who participated in the study, told The Guardian, "This study demonstrates why heatwaves are known as silent killers. While a handful of deaths have been reported in Spain, France and Italy, thousands more people are expected to have died as a result of the blistering temperatures."