Nearly 14,000 people died in Germany due to heatwave

In Germany, nearly 14,000 people died from heatwaves between April 6 and August 9, Deutsche Welle reported, citing a report by the Robert Koch Institute.

Scientists say the estimate is conservative and the real figure could be much higher. According to estimates, there were 17 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest rate in the last decade. For comparison, in 2018, 8,900 people died due to heatwaves.

**The most vulnerable during the heatwave**

The high temperatures affected people over 85 the most, with 7,040 deaths in this age group. There were approximately 3,450 deaths among those aged 75–84, and 2,170 among those aged 65–74. There were also 1,320 deaths among those under 65.

The mortality rate was higher among women than men, but this is explained by the higher proportion of older women.

Deaths are often not recorded as directly related to the hot weather, as death certificates list organ failure as the cause, for example. In most cases, the combination of high temperatures and existing cardiovascular, lung and kidney diseases leads to death.

**High mortality rates by region**

According to statistics, the extremely high temperatures have had the most severe impact on the population of the federal states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. There, 46 and 42 people died from the heat per 100,000 people, respectively. In Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, these figures were slightly lower, at 31 and 28 people.

Former German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called for increased measures to combat the effects of abnormal heat. He proposed launching information portals and hotlines on heat issues throughout the country.

This summer was marked by scorching heat in many countries. Temperature records were broken in several regions of Kazakhstan, and a 111-year record was set in Shymkent. Water levels in Europe fell, and the Rhine and Danube rivers in particular were severely affected by drought. This led to the shutdown of nuclear power plants in Romania and Hungary. Australia and Slovakia also experienced their hottest day in history. South Korea set a 122-year temperature record.