[High mortality during the 2018 heatwave in Sweden].

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Climate Science

Background:

• Sweden experienced a record-breaking heatwave in summer 2018 with unprecedented temperatures and duration.
• Previous research indicates elevated daily mortality during high-temperature periods in Sweden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of the 2018 extreme heatwave on mortality in Sweden.
• To validate existing heatwave risk models using observed mortality data.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of excess deaths in Sweden between July 2nd and August 5th, 2018, compared to 2017.
• Utilized temperature data from four weather stations and relative risks from established heatwave early warning system models.

Main Results:

• Observed 635 excess deaths during the 2018 heatwave period, an 8.2% increase.
• A 13.5% mortality increase was noted during the peak heat week (July 16-22).
• Model predictions for excess deaths ranged from 601 to 746, aligning with observed data.

Conclusions:

• The 2018 heatwave significantly increased mortality in Sweden.
• The study confirms the reliability of current risk models in predicting excess mortality, even during prolonged and extreme heat events exceeding previous study parameters.