Belgium records Europe's highest heat-related excess mortality

Belgium recorded Europe's highest excess mortality during the late-June heatwave, at 48%, far exceeding France (23%) and the Netherlands (13%), which also experienced extreme temperatures, according to European Mortality Monitoring (EuroMOMO).

Data from the agency showed the country registered more than 2,000 excess deaths compared with the expected baseline, Caliber.Az reports, citing Belgian media.

Geert Molenberghs, a researcher at KU Leuven, said the heat had the greatest impact on residents of less affluent areas.

He explained that temperatures are typically lower in large detached homes surrounded by green spaces than in small, densely populated apartments.

Even in Flanders, where excess mortality stood at 31%, the figure exceeded those recorded in both France and the Netherlands.

According to Molenberghs, the findings highlight the need to rethink urban planning and city design to better protect people from extreme heat.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov