As a result of the extreme heat that lasted from June 22 to 28, temperatures in many regions of Germany reached 40 degrees. During this period, about 9,600 people died, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported on Thursday (August 6).
This number is almost double the institute’s previous estimates, which were over 5,000 deaths for the same period. Overall, the number of heat-related deaths this year has risen to approximately 11,900, significantly exceeding the figures for any full year since 2016. So far, the highest number of heat-related deaths in Germany was recorded in 2018 — about 9,000.
Mortality among the elderly and temperature records
RKI emphasized that extremely high temperatures pose a threat primarily to the elderly. More than 6,000 deaths at the end of June involved people aged 85 and older, about 3,000 were people aged 75 to 84. Among those under 65, more than 1,100 deaths were recorded.
According to RKI, from June 22 to 28, the average weekly temperature in Germany was 26.4 degrees, significantly higher than the threshold of 20 degrees, after which heat-related mortality usually increases.
Data from the German Meteorological Service (DWD) indicates that this year’s June was the second warmest in Germany since records began. The country recorded its highest temperature — 41.7 degrees in Neusemünde-Kosen (Brandenburg), near the border with Poland. The night from June 27 to 28 was the warmest in the history of observations.
The Federal Chamber of Physicians, about 80 other European health organizations, and environmental organizations are calling on Germany and the EU to strengthen heat protection measures. They are calling for, among other things, the adaptation of care facilities, nurseries, kindergartens, and schools to climatic conditions, and are also demanding that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convene an emergency summit on heat.
Source: Gazeta.pl
