Red Cross urges vigilance as heat wave raises health risks across Europe

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Tuesday urged people across Europe to take the ongoing heat wave seriously and check on vulnerable neighbors and relatives as extreme temperatures increase health risks across the continent.

“We are speaking as another intense heat wave sweeps across Europe,” Mary Friel, IFRC senior officer for climate policy, told reporters in Geneva.

Health authorities in several regions have issued heat alerts, warning of dangerous conditions in the coming days. Friel noted that many urban residents are experiencing little relief overnight.

She said older people, children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, migrants, homeless people and those living in poorly ventilated housing face the greatest risks.

“Indoor heat is often a hidden threat, especially for people with limited mobility,” Friel said, urging the public to check on housebound neighbors and relatives.

Across Europe, Red Cross volunteers have been conducting door-to-door visits, welfare calls, distributing water, operating cooling stations and providing first aid and public information, she added.

In Switzerland, the Swiss Red Cross is working with cantonal authorities to support people over 75 through welfare calls and home visits. Similar initiatives are underway in Italy and Spain, where the Spanish Red Cross reached more than 62,000 people during extreme heat events last year.

Friel warned that climate change is making heat waves more frequent, longer and more intense, calling extreme heat “one of the defining humanitarian challenges of our time.”