Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has warned that the intense heatwave sweeping across Europe could become a matter of life and death for vulnerable populations as temperatures continue to rise across the continent.
The humanitarian organisation issued the warning on Tuesday, saying both outdoor and indoor heat pose serious health risks, particularly for older people, children, pregnant women and individuals with chronic illnesses.
“The coming days pose serious health risks,” said Mary Friel, the IFRC’s senior climate policy officer.
“For thousands of people across Europe, extreme temperatures, without action, can quickly become a matter of life and death.”
The Red Cross urged residents to monitor heat alerts, follow public health guidance and regularly check on vulnerable individuals.
“IFRC is urging people to take this heatwave seriously and to look out for those most at risk to save lives,” Friel said.
She warned that indoor heat remains an overlooked danger.
“Indoor heat is often a hidden threat, especially for people with limited mobility and underlying health conditions,” she added.
National Red Cross societies across Europe have intensified emergency measures, including home visits, cooling centres, first aid services and public awareness campaigns.
The organisation identified elderly people, children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, homeless people and those with chronic illnesses as the groups most at risk.
Heat stress, Friel said, remains a “deadly” and often “silent killer”.
Several European countries, including Britain, France, Italy and Spain, have issued health alerts as the early summer heatwave intensifies.
France recorded one of its warmest nights on record as temperatures remained unusually high.
Scientists have repeatedly linked increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves to climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions.
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Mirian Gom 
Oluwafunbi Bello