Nearly 14,000 heat-related deaths recorded in Germany this summer, Robert Koch Institute says
Preliminary Robert Koch Institute data show heat-linked fatalities up to 9 August, with a concentrated spike in late June.
The Robert Koch Institute has released preliminary figures indicating that nearly 14,000 people in Germany died this summer from causes linked to extreme heat.
Those estimates cover heat-related deaths recorded up to 9 August and reflect a season of repeated, intense heatwaves that the institute said have become more frequent and stronger due to climate change.
Peak mortality during the late-June heat spell
The institute reports that 9,600 of the roughly 14,000 heat-related fatalities occurred in the single week from 22 to 28 June, when temperatures in parts of the country rose above 41 degrees Celsius.
Germany, the European Union's most populous country with 82 million residents, has already surpassed the previous heat-related mortality record of 8,900 set in 2018.
As in other European states, people aged over 75 were the most affected by the extreme temperatures, the weekly Robert Koch Institute bulletin states.
Photo: press material from the event
