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Germany’s heat death record
Germany has recorded around 14,000 heat-related deaths so far this year as of August 9, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s public health authority.
“Around 14,000 people have died from heat-related causes in Germany since the beginning of the year as of August 9”
The RKI said around 9,600 of those deaths occurred in the week of June 22 to 28, when temperatures in Germany reached over 40C and in some places exceeded 41 °C.
The RKI’s figures show the largest share of heat-related deaths occurred in the over-75 age group, with nearly 10,500 deaths in that age bracket, and the institute said heat is not usually listed as the underlying cause of death on death certificates.
Euronews reported that the report said “statistical methods must be employed to estimate the extent of heat-related deaths,” because heat is not typically recorded directly on death certificates.
The RKI also said the previous record was 8,900 heat-related deaths in 2018, and that in some years heat deaths had dropped below 2,000.
How deaths are counted
Euronews said the report explains that “in most instances, death results from a combination of heat exposure and pre-existing medical conditions,” including the way heat can worsen existing health problems.
The RKI’s approach, as described by Euronews, uses statistical methods that compare deaths during summer weeks with and without heatwaves, because heat is not usually listed as the underlying cause of death on death certificates.
DW reported that the RKI said 9,600 of the 14,000 deaths this year occurred during the week of June 22 to 28, and that the figures were collected up to August 9.
DW also said the magnitude of deaths linked to high temperatures is calculated using statistical methods that compare the number of deaths in summer weeks with and without a heatwave.
Euronews added that the institute has collected heat mortality data for the past decade and said “these differences can be attributed to the varying severity of the heatwaves.”
Europe-wide pressure and policy
Euronews said Spain’s public health institute registered nearly 4,500 heat-related deaths since 1 June, while French health authorities said they had seen more than 7,300 excess deaths over the same period.
“climate adaptation and nature conservation”
Le Monde reported that Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute registered 4,458 heat-related deaths from June 1 to August 19, the highest level since 2022, when there were 4,520 heat-related deaths during the same time.
In Germany, ministers from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) urged Berlin to enshrine “climate adaptation and nature conservation” in the German constitution, known as the Basic Law, and Euronews quoted SPD Environment Minister Carsten Schneider saying the climate crisis was now a “tangible reality”.
Euronews also reported that Karl Lauterbach argued municipalities need financial help, saying “Effective heat protection costs a lot of money,” and that the German Association of Towns and Municipalities estimated “a minimum of €20 billion” is needed for hospitals and nursing homes.
Business To Business, Berlin, said the WHO’s Regional Office for Europe warned that extreme heat poses a growing health challenge and quoted WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge saying “But heat deaths are not inevitable,” calling for early warnings, cooler cities, and better-prepared health systems before temperatures peak.
