More than 175,000 people die from the effects of extreme heat each year in Europe, the fastest-warming region of the world, according to a press release published today by the European division of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Among the 489,000 heat-related deaths recorded by the WHO between 2000 and 2019, “the European region accounts for 36% (of these victims), an average of 176,040 deaths each year” over that period .

The World Health Organization’s Europe region, which stretches into central Asia, is warming the fastest, at a rate roughly twice the global average, the organization notes.

“Across the region and its 53 member states, people are paying the biggest price,” regional director Hans Kluge said in the press release.

Over the past 20 years, heat-related mortality there has increased by 30%.

“Extreme temperatures exacerbate chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebrovascular diseases, mental health and diabetes-related disorders“, explains WHO Europe.

They also cause “heat stress‘, which occurs when the human body fails to maintain a temperature between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius and is currently the leading cause of climate-related mortality in the region.

According to the WHO, the number of victims of heat will “explode” in the coming years due to global warming, which is responsible for the increase in the number of heat waves in Europe in recent decades.

“The three warmest years on record in the WHO European Region have occurred after 2020 and the ten warmest years on record since 2007Kluge said.

According to the UN organization, it is possible to deal with the heat by adopting simple behaviors: staying in a place protected from high temperatures, keeping our home cool and hydrating regularly.