Hundreds of people in Sweden are being killed by more frequent heatwaves caused by climate change, new research shows.
Researchers from Sweden's Umea University, led by doctoral student Daniel Odin Astrom, have been studying deaths caused by extreme temperature events in Stockholm between 1980-2009.
Comparing the number of extreme temperature events during the recent period to those between 1900-1929, Mr Astrom's team found that extreme weather is becoming more frequent.
The research shows heatwaves caused by climate change have killed 288 people in Stockholm between 1980-2009.
"Mortality due to heat extremes in Stockholm, Sweden was significantly elevated in the past thirty years because of more frequent events compared with the beginning of the twentieth century," Mr Astrom wrote.
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Mr Astrom said despite above average winters temperatures due to climate change, extreme cold spells are also occurring more often in the Swedish capital.
"Contributing to increasing mortality during the winter months," he wrote.
The study results will be published in journal Nature on Monday.
