Millions of individuals face a serious danger from intense heat, as confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization.
Record-Breaking Heat Waves Pose Grave Threat to Public Health and Infrastructure
A series of extreme heat waves across the globe have raised concerns about their impact on public health and infrastructure, with vulnerable populations and urban areas being particularly at risk.
In July 2025, Europe experienced its third warmest July on record, according to the European Union's climate change service, Copernicus. Countries such as Sweden and Finland saw temperatures soar above 30°C, while Moscow declared an orange weather danger level due to heat for two days, with daytime temperatures predicted to reach 31°C.
These sweltering conditions have taken a heavy toll on human lives. Between 2000 and 2019, approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred worldwide annually, with 45% occurring in Asia and 36% in Europe.
Heatwaves have become more intense and frequent, exacerbating their impact on human health and infrastructure. In fact, if global warming surpasses 2.0°C, heat-related deaths could increase to over 160 deaths per million annually; beyond 4.0°C warming, deaths could exceed 467 per million per year, with southern and coastal regions facing the highest impacts.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has identified the elderly and those with chronic illnesses as being particularly at risk from heat. The organization's Climate Monitoring Chief Omar Baddour has noted that extreme heat at the surface and cold air aloft can lead to heavy rainfall, sudden floods, and landslides in mountainous regions, posing a negative impact on people and infrastructure.
The impacts on public health include increased mortality and morbidity among vulnerable groups, with heat-related illness often underreported. The urban heat island effect worsens exposure in cities, amplifying risks. Moreover, extreme heat events also strain infrastructure by increasing energy demand (e.g., for cooling), contributing to wildfires and poor air quality, and damaging transport and water systems.
Efforts to mitigate these effects emphasize the importance of early warning systems, sustainable urban planning (including increasing green spaces by 10-30%), social policies targeted at vulnerable groups, and urgent climate mitigation to limit warming, ideally to 1.5°C. The World Meteorological Organization and partners are advocating for heat-health action plans and improved detection and response frameworks.
It's worth noting that sea surface temperatures in July 2025 reached the third highest level ever recorded, and Turkey set a record with a temperature of 50.5°C in July 2025. Southeastern Europe also faced wildfires in July 2025.
WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett stated that deaths from extreme heat, once considered a silent killer, can now be prevented with modern science and technology. Adaptation measures like early warnings, urban greening, and social policies are critical to reducing future deaths and minimizing the impact of heat waves on public health and infrastructure.
- The record-breaking heat waves pose a significant threat not only to public health and infrastructure, but also to the environment and climate change, as extreme heat events can lead to increased wildfires and poor air quality.
- Climate change is causing heatwaves to become more intense and frequent, posing a grave impact on health-and-wellness, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses in environmental-science fields.
- In order to mitigate the effects of heatwaves on public health and infrastructure, it's crucial to implement adaptation measures like early warning systems, sustainable urban planning, social policies, and advancements in science and technology to address this growing concern related to climate change.
