Heat claims thousands of lives in Germany, elderly most vulnerable

Germany has registered around 5,120 deaths linked to heatwaves since the beginning of the year, according to the Robert Koch Institute for Public Health. The majority of these fatalities occurred during a severe heatwave in late June, when weekly average temperatures soared well above the 20 degrees Celsius mark.

The institute's weekly report highlighted that approximately 4,270 of the recorded deaths were among individuals aged 75 and older. This demographic, characterized by its vulnerability to extreme temperatures, bore the brunt of the heat's deadly impact.

Furthermore, the data indicates that women constituted a larger proportion of the heat-related deaths compared to men. This disparity is primarily attributed to the fact that women make up a greater percentage of the elderly population in Germany. The national authorities also reported over 4,700 excess deaths during a heatwave that affected France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands between June 20 and 28.

The findings underscore the significant public health challenge posed by rising global temperatures and the critical need for targeted measures to protect vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, during periods of extreme heat.