Belgium deaths spiked by 39% in June heat wave

At least three people have died due to wildfires in Spain, Albania, and Greece. The countries are now asking for assistance from the European Union.

Belgium recorded 39 per cent more deaths than normal between June 18 and 29 as a sweltering heat wave gripped much of Europe, health authorities said Friday.

The country saw 1,222 excess deaths during the period, of which nearly half were of people aged 85 or over, according to provisional data from the federal health ministry.

“Such a level of excess mortality during a heat wave is unprecedented in our country,” it said in a statement, noting that Belgium had recorded “seven tropical days of temperatures exceeding 30 C as well as “abnormally” warm nights.

The peak in excess mortality was reached on Saturday, June 27.

The previous day, most of the country had been placed under orange or red heat alerts, prompting authorities to cancel a slew of events including a re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo.

While Belgium did not officially break its temperature records for June, readings hit 35 C in Brussels for several consecutive days, and climbed locally to between 38 C and 40 C.