More than 200,000 lives have been lost to the "silent killer" of extreme heat in Europe since 2022, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, after a heatwave saw some countries record their highest-ever May temperatures.

Heat kills thousands of Europeans every year, deaths the WHO says could be prevented with the right policies in place.

More than 200,000 lives have been lost to the "silent killer" of extreme heat in Europe since 2022, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, after a heatwave saw some…