Poorer people bear brunt of extreme heat in Europe, say Spanish researchers

Madrid study finds people from below-average income groups more likely to die in heatwaves

Scorching temperatures across Europe have killed tens of thousands of people in recent years. But as fatalities rise, researchers are finding that one group is disproportionately bearing the brunt of extreme heat: those living in poverty.

It's common sense," said Julio Diaz Jimenez, an investigative professor at Madrid's Carlos III health institute. A heatwave is not the same when you're in a shared room with three other people and no air conditioning, as when you're in a villa with access to a pool and air conditioning."