According to the latest available rate data mortality od heat from 2024, published in the journal "Nature Medicine", Serbia is in third place in Evropi, right behind Greece and Bulgaria.
The summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded in Europe. A heat wave then claimed over 60.000 lives, which is 23,6 percent more than in the summer of 2023. In Serbia, for the period two years ago, the death rate related to high temperatures was 379 deaths per million inhabitants. The average death rate in the 32 European countries surveyed was 117.
Women die more often from the heat
In a 2024 study, the Institute for Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal) estimated that the number of heat-related deaths among women was 46,7 percent higher than among men, while for those over 75 the estimated death rate was 323 percent higher than for all other age groups.
Why are women significantly more likely to die from the heat than men?
Tomaš Janoš, the author of the study, pointed out that Europe is the fastest-warming continent - twice as fast as the global average. "Within Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the southeastern regions are emerging as the main hotspots." climate change, facing the greatest impact on health and a significant increase in heat-related mortality during the 21st century," says Janos.
Photo: FoNet/Aleksandar BardaWomen die more often from high temperatures
Portal Climate 101 wrote in September of last year that a study conducted by the "Grantham" Institute at Imperial College London showed that, of the total of 24.400 heat deaths analyzed in the period from June to August 2025, climate change was responsible for 68 percent.
Scientists from London, analyzing data from 854 European cities, calculated that climate change raised temperatures by an incredible 3,6 degrees Celsius, and this led to 16.500 additional deaths.
How the number of deaths from the heat is calculated
"Deutsche Welle" wrote in mid-July of this year that when the Robert Koch Institute's data on 5.120 heat deaths in Germany appeared, it was found that the researchers had compared the number of deaths in one week with the average number of deaths in previous years. Also, some studies in the past have come up with a significantly higher number of heat-related deaths than the Robert Koch Institute.
Jonas Gerke from the German Alliance for Climate Change and Health explained to "Deutsche Welle" that the deaths due to the heat are not counted, but their number is statistically estimated based on "excess mortality".
"Overall, the method is very reliable, because deaths are otherwise difficult to associate with heat," says Gerke, explaining that this is because people most often die from a combination of previous illnesses and heat.
Extreme heatCitizens are advised not to stay in the sun between 10 a.m. and 17 p.m., to drink enough fluids and eat adequate food.
Advice for citizens
The City Public Health Institute of Belgrade lists recommendations and advice for citizens on its website in order to prevent health problems caused by heat in time. Citizens are advised not to stay in the sun between 10 a.m. and 17 p.m., to take enough fluids and adequate food, but also to wear light and light-colored clothes, as well as to avoid heavy physical exertion.
Red dot on the map of Europe: Why Belgraders cook during the summer months
The City Institute for Public Health lists the most common ailments caused by heat and gives advice on how to prevent or mitigate them. The most serious complication that requires immediate medical intervention is heat stroke. It can occur not only due to direct exposure to the sun, but also due to humid and overheated air.
For more information on other ailments caused by heat, how to recognize, prevent or alleviate them, see the website of the City Institute for Public Health at this link.
Sources: Deutsche Welle, Climate 101, Danas
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