Europe's Heatwave Deaths Top 30,000 as Scientists Point to Climate

Europe saw at least 30,000 excess deaths across a blistering summer of back-to-back heatwaves and drought, according to provisional figures reported by The Local Italy. Scientists have blamed the toll on man-made climate change, the outlet said.

The figures cover a season of extreme temperatures that have strained health services and infrastructure across the continent. Italy, with its ageing population and Mediterranean climate, has been among the countries most exposed to the heat.

For Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the numbers carry a particular weight. The region's coastal cities and inland plains have experienced the same scorching conditions, and its large elderly population is especially vulnerable to heat-related illness.