The heatwave in Europe has claimed more than 10,000 excess deaths this year after mercury rose to a record high.
According to Reuters, the official data showed that European countries recorded over 10,000 deaths during the record-breaking heatwave in June.
The stats published by EuroMOMO, a network by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization, showed that the vast majority of the people, over 9,000, who died during the heatwaves were aged 65 or above.
Lasse Vestergaard, chief physician at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut and EuroMOMO host, told Reuters, “To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It’s really high. It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat.”
Meanwhile, experts in the UK estimated that more than 2,700 people died in England and Wales from heat-related reasons during May and June.
Tip to protect yourself from heatwaves
During the heatwave, the chances of getting dehydrated or the body overheating are very high.
The scorching heat and high temperatures can lead to serious and potentially fatal health problems. So, here are some of the easy ways to protect yourself during the heatwave and stay cool.
• Keep your skin wet using a spray bottle or damp sponge.
• Soak a towel in cool tap water and wrap it loosely around your head.
• Take cool showers or foot baths with cool tap water.
• Wrap ice cubes in a damp towel and drape around your neck.
• Wear light and loose-fitting clothing.
• Keep drinking water before you feel thirsty, especially if outdoors and performing physical activity.
• When possible, close the curtains during the hottest parts of the day and open windows at night time to cool down the house.
• Do not go outside during the hottest times of the day if you can avoid it. Try to arrange your activities earlier or later in the day when it is cooler.
• Carry a water bottle and a small towel, so you can hydrate and cool down by placing a wet towel on your neck.
