Heat waves killed an estimated 50,000 people in European cities this summer, according to new peer-reviewed estimates reported by The New York Times. The paper reported that this summer's heat was the continent's deadliest by far this century. The article was written by Raymond Zhong.

The Guardian reported a similar figure, describing a record 50,000 deaths in European cities this summer, according to new research. In an article by Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian used the word "staggering" in its headline to describe the figure. The outlet reported that scientists blame climate breakdown for two in every three of the deaths.

According to The Guardian, people died from heat at the highest rates in Malta, Italy and Hungary. The outlet reported that health issues, loneliness and poverty worsened the toll. It also reported that morgues and funeral homes filled with bodies from June to August.

The two reports differ in emphasis. The New York Times summary does not address what caused the deaths, while The Guardian attributes most of them to climate breakdown. The New York Times headline describes the record as likely, while The Guardian's summary states it as a record.

Neither the New York Times nor The Guardian summary describes the methods used to produce the estimates in detail. The available text also does not give a country-by-country total beyond the three places The Guardian named.

Sources: The New York Times: Heat Waves Killed an Estimated 50,000 in European Cities, a Likely Record; The Guardian: Heat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warn.