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Abnormal heat causes 17 times fewer deaths than the cold
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Today, modern technologies allow us to more calmly survive adverse weather conditions, such as winter frosts or summer heat. However, a large number of deaths still occur precisely because of weather conditions.
Abnormally high temperatures have been recorded in many countries in recent years. For example, in Japan, more than 400,000 people were hospitalized due to heat. In the summer, thousands of people die from heat strokes around the world. But British experts have found out in recent studies that the cold period poses a greater threat to life than abnormally high summer temperatures.
Antonio Gasparini, the author of the research project, noted that it has always been believed that it is on hot days that a large number of deaths occur, and scientists have paid much attention to waves of abnormal heat. Gasparini's group has shown with their research that in fact everything is the opposite, i.e. it is during the cold period that the number of deaths increases.
Researchers examined the causes of death of more than 70 million people from different countries with different climates.
In each country that took part in the study, the average daily air temperature and the death rate were analyzed, in addition to other factors that could affect the final results of the studies, such as air pollution or humidity levels, were taken into account.
Gasparini and his colleagues found that cool weather and frosts over the past 30 years have caused the death of more than 5 million people. The experts came to such conclusions after carefully studying data from local medical and statistical services in different parts of the world.
According to the research group, more than 70 million people died during the period selected for study, and weather conditions (abnormally high or low temperatures) were the cause of death or one of the main factors leading to death in approximately 8% of cases.
During the analysis, scientists found that during the summer periods, when abnormally high temperatures were recorded, approximately 0.5% (slightly more than 300 thousand people) died, and in cold or frosty weather, 17 times more people died (over 5 million people).
After the experts compared the severity of weather events and the frequency of deaths, they were surprised for the second time. As it turned out, 1% of the total number of deaths during this period died in extreme heat or cold, and 7% died at average temperatures, cold weather led to the death of just over 6% of people.
The cause of death, as scientists assumed, was acute respiratory viral infections, which worsen in the autumn-winter period, and heart disease.
Based on the findings, scientists urge the authorities of countries experiencing abnormal weather conditions to reconsider their policies, since health care in almost all countries is focused on eliminating the consequences of abnormally hot weather. Gasparini and his colleagues are confident that it is simply necessary to introduce measures that would protect the lives and health of citizens in cold and frosty weather.
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