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German weather service records one of the warmest summers since measurements began
🇩🇪 Germany /Environment & Climate

German weather service records one of the warmest summers since measurements began

From Der Spiegel · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Documents & data Ongoing story
  • The German Weather Service said summer 2026 ranked among the country’s warmest since nationwide measurements began, with temperatures at times exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
  • A DWD attribution study found that the late-June heatwave would have been statistically impossible without human-caused climate change.
  • The Robert Koch Institute estimated that about 15,800 people died from heat by mid-August, including roughly 9,600 during the late-June extreme heatwave.

Germany’s summer brought temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, nights with little relief and an estimated 15,800 heat-related deaths by mid-August. The German Weather Service said a preliminary assessment placed the season among the warmest since nationwide measurements began.

The DWD described the late-June heatwave as unprecedented in its scale and effects in Germany. Its attribution study concluded that an event of that magnitude would have been statistically impossible without climate change caused by human activity.

The heatwave at the end of June reached dimensions in its scale and effects that have not previously been observed in Germany.

— German Weather ServiceThe DWD used this description in its preliminary assessment of the summer.

The summer was also unusually dry, particularly in western and southwestern Germany, and is expected to rank among the sunniest on record. The weather service planned to publish more details in its full summer assessment.

The heat carried a heavy human cost. The Robert Koch Institute estimated that 9,600 deaths were linked to the extreme heat at the end of June, while another 4,000 were associated with high temperatures during the first two weeks of August. The figures cover the period from April 6 to Aug. 16 and are considered conservative estimates.

Without climate change, a heatwave of this magnitude would have been statistically impossible.

— German Weather ServiceThe DWD attribution study assessed the role of human-caused climate change in the late-June heatwave.

The actual toll could be higher because death certificates often record outcomes such as organ failure rather than heat as the cause, according to Uwe Janssens, medical director of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.

Research from Hannah Wallis at the University Hospital for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Magdeburg also examined heat’s effects on mental health. In surveys conducted in 2025 and 2026, participants reported more depressive and physical symptoms as temperatures rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Wallis said the effects might appear as mild depressive or anxious symptoms and were especially important for people with existing mental-health vulnerabilities.

The hotter it gets, the more depressive and physical symptoms participants reported.

— Hannah WallisThe Magdeburg researcher summarized findings from her study of heat and mental health.
About this summary

Originally published by Der Spiegel in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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