Germany registers a record 15,800 deaths in back-to-back heatwaves this summer
Germany is facing its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths in years, with an estimated 15,800 people dying during repeated heatwaves. The figures highlight the growing health threat posed by increasingly intense and frequent extreme temperatures.
According to estimates from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), around 9,600 deaths occurred during a single week in late June, when temperatures in parts of Germany climbed above 40°C. A further 4,000 heat-related deaths were estimated during the first two weeks of August.
The summer has been marked by a series of unusually intense heatwaves across Europe. Germany recorded temperatures above 40°C at dozens of weather stations, with the extreme heat placing particular pressure on older people and those suffering from existing health conditions.
People over the age of 75 were among those at greatest risk. Heat can also worsen cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases, meaning many victims do not die directly from heatstroke. Instead, extreme temperatures can cause existing illnesses to deteriorate, leading to heart attacks, strokes or other fatal complications.
The latest estimate would make 2026 Germany’s worst year for heat-related mortality since records began. The previous major record was recorded in 2018, when the RKI estimated around 8,900 heat-related deaths.
Experts stress that the figures are estimates rather than a final confirmed death count. Heat is rarely listed as the direct cause of death on official death certificates, so researchers use mortality and temperature data to calculate how many deaths are likely to have been caused or accelerated by extreme heat.
The situation is part of a much wider European crisis. At least 35,000 excess deaths have been linked to four consecutive heatwaves across Europe this summer, with Germany, France and Spain accounting for more than 25,000 of them. Health experts warn that the final toll is likely to rise as additional summer mortality data becomes available.
Scientists say climate change is making extreme heat more frequent and intense, while Europe’s ageing population is increasing the number of people vulnerable to dangerous temperatures. The unprecedented death toll in Germany is therefore being viewed as another warning of the growing health risks associated with a warming climate.