The World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said on Thursday that more than 200,000 people have died from heat in Europe over the past four years. He said the figure captures only part of the damage, as millions more are affected in their daily lives.

Kluge described the deaths as the tip of the iceberg and said heat also takes a physical and mental toll on people. The WHO message underlines that heatwaves are not just a short-lived weather event, but a growing public health problem across Europe.