Germany's deadly summer: Heatwaves claim record 15,800 lives, says Robert Koch Institute

A person rides a bicycle past a dried-up lawn in front of the Westhafen Tower on the Main river embankment in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on Monday, following a period of exceptionally hot weather. PIC/AFP

Germany recorded a record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer as the country and much of Europe grappled with a series of punishing heatwaves, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's national public health institute, said on Thursday.

People aged over 75 were the worst-affected group, with around 9,600 heat-related deaths recorded in a single week in late June, when temperatures in Germany rose above 40 degrees Celsius, news agency AFP reported, citing RKI.

Another 4,000 heat-related deaths were recorded between late July and mid-August, the institute said.

The figures highlight the growing health impact of extreme heat across Europe, which has experienced repeated heatwaves and rising temperatures this summer. Heat and drought have also fuelled wildfires, damaged crops and contributed to falling water levels in major rivers across the continent.

Germany's worst heat-related death toll

The RKI said it has been collecting heat-related mortality data for the past decade. The previous record was around 8,900 heat-related deaths recorded in 2018.

A separate report by a medical publication had estimated that around 10,000 people died from heat-related causes in Germany in 1994.

The latest figures also exceed the estimate of around 14,000 heat-related deaths reported by the RKI as of August 9. At that point, nearly 10,500 of those deaths were among people aged 75 and above.

The RKI said its estimate for heat-related mortality has continued to rise as the summer progresses.

Extreme heat can cause death directly, including through heatstroke, but it can also prove fatal by worsening existing health conditions. People with cardiovascular, lung or kidney diseases are particularly vulnerable when temperatures remain dangerously high.

The RKI estimates heat-related mortality using statistical methods that compare the number of deaths recorded during summer weeks with and without heatwaves.

Older people particularly vulnerable

Older people face a particularly high risk from prolonged periods of extreme heat. The RKI has previously noted a sharp rise in heat-related excess mortality among people aged 75 and above.

The latest figures come amid growing concern from health authorities over the impact of climate change and increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

Last month, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Office for Europe warned that extreme heat poses a growing health challenge and called for stronger preparations by individuals and governments.

WHO Europe has described Europe as the fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average rate. It warned that deadly heat is also placing sudden pressure on essential services, including health and social care.

WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Henri P Kluge, said heat had claimed more than 2 lakh lives across the region over the previous four years, while heat-related mortality had risen by 30 per cent over the past two decades.

"But heat deaths are not inevitable," Kluge said, calling for early warning systems, cooler cities, greater access to water and shade, support for vulnerable people and better-prepared health systems before temperatures peak.

The record mortality figures in Germany underline the increasing toll of extreme heat and the importance of protecting vulnerable populations as heatwaves become more frequent and severe.

(With AFP and IANS inputs)