12.5 thousand deaths in Germany linked to heatwave

The number of deaths in Germany due to unusually hot weather this year has increased significantly. According to the weekly report of the Robert Koch Institute on August 13, as of August 2, about 12.5 thousand premature deaths related to heat were recorded.

Experts note that this estimate is based on conservative calculations, so in reality the number of deaths related to the effects of high temperatures could be even higher.

According to the RKI, the 2026 figure is the highest in the last decade. Previously, about 9.4 thousand people died due to heat in 2018 and 7.7 thousand in 2019.

In terms of regions, the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate federal states suffered the most from the abnormal heat. In Saarland, there were 43.4 heat-related deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, and in Rhineland-Palatinate, 38.7. The average for Germany was 15 deaths per 100,000.

Statistics show that the heat is particularly dangerous for the elderly. In 2026, almost 6,300 of the heat-related deaths were among citizens aged 85 and older. Among those aged 75 to 84, more than 3,100 are estimated to have died from heat-related causes.

Meanwhile, another heat wave has hit Germany. However, it is weaker than the heat wave observed at the end of June. At that time, temperatures rose above 40 degrees in many parts of the country. The RKI estimates that the heatwave in June alone was linked to around 5,100 deaths in Germany.

AFP estimates that at least 12,000 excess deaths across Europe could be linked to high temperatures in that month alone. June and July 2026 were the warmest months on record in Western Europe. According to the European Union's Copernicus climate change service, the average temperature during this period was 2.79 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average.

Former German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has called for increased measures to combat the effects of the abnormal heatwave. He has proposed the introduction of special portals and hotlines across the country to provide information on the dangers of heatwaves. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment and Climate Protection, said he was in favor of developing a national plan to combat extreme heat by the summer of 2027.

Burkhard Jung, head of the Association of German Cities and Mayor of Leipzig, called for the financing of measures to combat heat and the effects of climate change to be included in the country's Basic Law. At the same time, the German Hospital Association drew attention to the need to modernize cooling systems in medical institutions. According to the organization, only a small number of wards in German hospitals are currently equipped with air conditioning.