Germany recorded a record number of approximately 14,000 heat-related deaths this summer, according to official data published by the Robert Koch Institute.
Almost 9,600 of these deaths were recorded in a single week at the end of June, when temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
Extreme heatwaves also affected other European countries, with Spain reporting nearly 4,500 deaths and France over 7,300 excess deaths during the same period.
The most affected were people over 75 years old, and the heat contributed to their deaths, often in combination with pre-existing medical conditions.
The public health institute has been monitoring heat-related mortality for a decade, and the previous record was 8,900 deaths recorded in 2018. This summer was marked by historic temperatures and drought, highlighting the impact of climate change on public health.
Sources
Latest News
23:08
22:38
22:20
22:01
21:38
See more news