Half of Europe faced very strong heat stress this summer, EU scientists say

Just over half of Europe experienced "very strong" levels of heat stress at times this summer, exposing people in a record-high share of the continent to the health risks of extreme heat, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Friday.

• The 52 percent of the continent exposed to very strong heat stress this summer was the highest on record, C3S said

• Heat stress occurs when high temperatures and humidity mean the body cannot cool itself through sweating

• Symptoms include increased heart rate, nausea, dizziness and heat stroke — a potentially life-threatening condition

• Copernicus defines "very strong" heat stress as conditions that feel like a temperature of at least 38 degrees Celsius (100 F)

• Western Europe experienced its hottest summer since records began, recording "very strong" heat stress on 13 days

• Extreme heat poses particular health risks to outdoor workers, the elderly, and people with conditions like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes

• Europe's rivers recorded their lowest flows this summer in more than three decades, C3S said

• Human-caused climate change has made Europe the world's fastest-warming continent, according to the World Meteorological Organization