Germany's heat death toll nears 10,000

Nearly 10,000 people have died in connection with high temperatures in Germany this year, more than in any full year since 2016, according to estimates from the Robert Koch Institute.

The institute estimated 9,800 heat-related deaths between the beginning of April and July 19. The previous highest annual figure of the past decade was around 9,000 in 2018.

More than 5,000 of this year's deaths were linked to the intense heatwave in the second half of June, when temperatures approached 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas.

The European Union's Copernicus climate service said June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in western Europe.

Germany's Federal Statistical Office reported that deaths in the week from June 22 to 28 were 32% higher than in the same period last year. The Robert Koch Institute attributed at least 5,100 deaths during that period to the heat.

Heat is rarely recorded as the direct cause of death unless a person dies from a condition such as heatstroke.

In most cases, high temperatures aggravate existing cardiovascular, respiratory or kidney conditions. Heat, therefore, often does not appear on death certificates and is sometimes described as a "silent cause of death."

The institute estimates heat-related mortality by comparing actual deaths during hot periods with the number normally expected at that time of year.

Its monitoring is published with a delay because it relies partly on mortality figures compiled by the Federal Statistical Office.

The estimate stood at around 7,900 deaths for the period from early April through July 12. Another 1,900 were attributed to heat during the week from July 13 to 19.

The final figure for the summer could therefore rise further because the current estimate does not cover hot weather after July 19 and may be revised as more complete mortality data becomes available.