Mortality in Germany increased by 32% during the record June heat compared to figures from the previous four years, according to official data released on Tuesday.
According to the German statistical agency, from 22 to 28 June, about 23,900 people died in the country, which is 7,100 more deaths than in the previous two weeks. The agency noted that “the impact of heat on health is significant, and as a result, the mortality rate increases,” adding that this is “a well-known effect often observed in the summer months.”
Last month, Western Europe was gripped by exhausting heat, with temperatures in some parts of Germany exceeding 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit). The report revised upwards the agency’s previous estimate of heat-related deaths, which was about 6,800 cases during this wave.
Different assessment methods and historical data
With the exception of the last week of June, mortality rates in Germany in 2026 have mostly remained within the range of the previous four years or even decreased, the agency reported.
The German health authority, the Robert Koch Institute, last week in its assessment put the number of heat-related deaths at 5,100 or more. According to the statistical agency, from 2022 to 2025, the annual number of heat-related deaths ranged from approximately 2,600 to 4,900. The years 2018 and 2019 recorded the highest heat-related mortality rates to date, with 8,400 and 6,900 deaths respectively, the report said. The statistical office and the institute use different analytical methods.
The EU climate monitoring service last week stated that Western Europe experienced the hottest June on record last month. Europe, the continent that is heating up the fastest in the world, is already facing its third heatwave of the season. Extreme temperatures are straining energy and water networks, drying up rivers and soils, stressing public health services, and causing forest fires. Climate change is making heatwaves in the region longer, more frequent, and more intense.
Source: South China Morning Post
