A heatwave that swept through Belgium in late June has been linked to 1,747 excess deaths, making it the deadliest heat event in the country since records began in 2000.
Belgium’s national public health institute, Sciensano, said that between 18 June and 1 July, mortality ran 47.8% above expected levels. Earlier provisional figures, released last week, had put the death toll at 1,222 for the narrower period of 18 to 29 June.
Sciensano attributed the severity of the event to three compounding factors: the duration of the heatwave, the intensity of temperatures, and elevated ozone concentrations. All three, the institute said, reached exceptionally high levels simultaneously.
A further heatwave is forecast to arrive in Belgium in the coming days, with maximum temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days starting tomorrow.
