Heatwave linked to more than 5,000 deaths in Germany

Germany has recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year, with most occurring in late June when weekly average temperatures rose well above 20 degrees Celsius, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Thursday.

REUTERS

9 July 2026 at 08:28:33

Heatwave linked to more than 5,000 deaths in Germany

People enjoy the water sprayed by a police water cannon in front of of the Olympic stadium Olympiastadion during the ongoing heatwave in Berlin, Germany, June 28, 2026.

Maryam Majd / Reuters

BERLIN — Germany has recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year, with most occurring in late June when weekly average temperatures rose well above 20 degrees Celsius, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Thursday.

According to the public health agency's weekly report, about 4,270 of the deaths were among people aged 75 and older. More women than men died, largely because women make up a greater share of the country's oldest population.

The figures add to growing concerns over the impact of extreme heat across Europe.

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, with an average temperature of 20.74 degrees Celsius.

National authorities have also reported more than 4,700 excess deaths linked to the June 20–28 heat wave in France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. -Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, editing by Linda Pasquini/Reuters