Belgium records over 2,000 deaths during June heat wave, monitoring network says

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Belgium recorded more than 2,000 deaths during a heat wave that gripped Europe at the end of June, according to data published on Monday by the European mortality monitoring network EuroMOMO. During the peak of the heat wave, mortality in Belgium rose by 48 percent, the network said, compared with 23 percent in France and 13 percent in the Netherlands over the same period. The data indicated that the impact of the heat was concentrated most heavily in poorer neighborhoods, where residents are typically more exposed to high temperatures and have less access to cooling. Public health officials across Europe have repeatedly warned that older people and those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable during prolonged heat. Experts said the episode was driven by a high-pressure system, often described as a "heat dome," that trapped hot air over the continent and prevented it from dispersing, pushing temperatures to record levels in several countries. Climate scientists have linked the increasing intensity and frequency of such heat waves to greenhouse gas emissions and long-term climate change.