Geneva, June 28 (QNA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Sunday that more than 1,000 people have died as a result of a heatwave sweeping across Europe since June 21.

In a post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Europe has recorded more than 1,300 excess deaths since June 21 amid spiking temperatures across the continent.

He added that around one million people are currently living under extreme heat conditions, with schools shut and power grids under severe strain, warning of a staggering humanitarian toll if such conditions persist.

Ghebreyesus warned that Europe has become the fastest-warming continent on Earth, with temperatures rising at twice the global average, noting that heatwaves once considered a once-in-a-generation phenomenon have, due to climate change, become an almost annual occurrence.

He said infrastructure across Europe, including homes, workplaces, and schools, was not designed to withstand such conditions, leaving systems increasingly vulnerable to extreme climate shocks.

Ghebreyesus affirmed that the WHO is working with Member States and partners to strengthen preparedness and prevention and improve health system responses.

The WHO chief called on European countries to enforce heat-health action plans as part of efforts to tackle the climate crisis and reduce long-term risks. (QNA)