Netherlands records 900 excess deaths during heatwave

The Netherlands registered more than 900 excess deaths in late June and early July as a heatwave scorched western Europe, health authorities said Wednesday, the latest country to report a surge in mortality.

"The cause of these deaths is unknown but it is highly likely the heat played a role," the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said in a statement.

The country recorded 911 deaths more than would be usual for the period from June 22 to July 5, it said, with people aged 80 and over hit particularly hard, as well as those living in the south and east, where temperatures were highest -- near 40C in some areas.

A series of recent heatwaves in Europe have broken temperature records and caused thousands of excess deaths in countries including Belgium, Britain, France and Spain, according to estimates.

The June heatwaves would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution group of scientists.