Late July heatwave caused 9,600 deaths in Germany

Germany recorded an estimated 9,600 deaths during a severe heatwave in late July, as reported by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The RKI's findings, published on a Thursday, indicate that the majority of these heat-related fatalities occurred during the week of July 22 to July 28. During this period, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius in numerous regions across Germany.

The institute's figures reveal that the total number of heat-attributed deaths for the entire year has reached 11,900. This marks the highest annual toll since 2016, surpassing the previous record of approximately 9,000 deaths in 2018. The RKI noted that the full impact of the exceptionally hot weeks and their subsequent effects could only be assessed now due to the rarity of such high temperatures in Germany and the five-week delay in receiving official mortality statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Earlier estimates in late June had placed the number of heat-related deaths at around 5,000. The latest data shows a significant increase in this figure. The RKI's analysis further breaks down the demographics of the victims, with nearly 6,000 deceased individuals being 85 years or older. An additional 3,000 deaths were recorded among those aged 75 to 84, highlighting the particular vulnerability of the elderly population to extreme heat.