Moderate Temperatures Also Cause Death - Not Only Extreme Heat

(Image: Pixabay CC0) Recent analyses by Swiss TPH show that not only heat waves, but also moderately hot temperatures, contribute to heat-related fatalities. On behalf of the Swiss federal government, Swiss TPH now monitors heat-related deaths in Switzerland on an annual basis. This monitoring provides a long-term record of the effects of climate change on health and helps to identify adaptation measures. High temperatures and heat waves pose a risk to human health. Heat-related ailments include heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal or mental illnesses. The European Environment Agency identifies heat stress as the biggest direct climate-related threat to human health in Europe. After the exceptional summer of 2003, heat-related deaths in Switzerland were recorded selectively after each heat-wave summer, for example for the hot summers of 2015, 2018 and 2019.