Nature's jokes can have dire consequences: the lives of 2 million Europeans are at risk due to extreme heat.

By the end of the century, extreme heat may increase mortality in Europe by 50%. According to researchers' forecasts, the number of fatalities from high temperatures will exceed the number of lives saved due to reduced cold.

This is reported by The Guardian.

Scientists state that 8,000 people will die each year due to "suboptimal temperatures" even under the most optimistic pollution reduction scenario that warms the planet. However, the worst-case scenario considered by researchers indicated 80,000 temperature-related deaths per year.

Thus, this information contradicts the claim that global warming is beneficial for people, as it would lead to fewer deaths from cold.

“We wanted to test this. And we clearly show that under climate change conditions, we will see a net increase in temperature-related mortality,” emphasized statistician Pierre Masselot from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the lead author of the study.

Furthermore, researchers predict that the number of deaths will rise more significantly in southern Europe, particularly around the Mediterranean, including Switzerland, Austria, as well as parts of southern Germany and Poland. However, Northern Europe is expected to see a negligible decrease in heat-related deaths.

In Norway, for example, we might observe a very slight improvement. But this is completely overshadowed by the mass increase in mortality that we are witnessing in southern countries,” Masselot pointed out.

Thus, scientists estimate that between 2015 and 2099, an additional 2.3 million people will die from high temperatures.

However, researchers do not rule out the possibility that people may adapt to such temperatures.

“The good news is that we can adapt. Adaptation starts with relatively simple solutions – although they are not free – such as installing air conditioners or creating spaces that serve as climate shelters. But we also need to address more complex solutions – such as increasing green spaces in cities to mitigate the urban heat island effect – and adapting healthcare systems,” explained Victor Resco de Dios, an ecological engineer from the University of Lleida, who was not involved in the study.