Germany recorded a record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer, as Europe faced a series of severe heat waves, the country’s national public health institute announced on Thursday.
The group most affected was people over the age of 75, and approximately 9,600 heat-related deaths were recorded in a single week in late June, when Germany experienced temperatures above 40 °C, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
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Another 4,000 heat-related deaths were recorded between late July and mid-August, the institute reported in its latest update.
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This summer, heat and drought struck much of Europe, contributing to a sharp rise in heat-related deaths, while also fueling wildfires, destroying many crops, and causing water levels in major rivers to drop.
The institute reported that it has been collecting data on heat-related deaths for the past decade and that the previous record was 8,900 heat-related deaths in 2018. A separate report in a medical journal had estimated that 10,000 deaths were caused by a heat wave in 1994.
Extreme heat can cause death directly, for example through heatstroke, but it usually proves fatal in combination with pre-existing conditions, such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, or renal diseases.
The RKI models heatwave-related mortality using statistical methods that compare deaths during summer weeks with and without heatwaves.
Source: KYPE
