Approximately 14,000 people have died from heat-related causes in Germany since April, a record number, while in Spain nearly 4,500 deaths have been attributed to the heat waves that struck the country from June 1 through August 19.
In Germany, approximately 14,000 people have died from April 6 through August 9 during heat waves, a number that exceeds the 2018 record, according to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
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In 2018, 8,900 heat-related deaths were recorded in the country.
Older adults over the age of 75 have been most affected, with the majority of deaths (7,040) occurring among people over the age of 85.
According to the RKI, 9,600 deaths occurred during the week of June 22–28, during which Germany experienced a heat wave, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 41 degrees Celsius.
Record number of deaths in Spain as well
Meanwhile, the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid announced today that nearly 4,500 deaths in Spain are linked to the heat.
The data covers the period from June 1 to August 19, and the number represents a record for this time frame. By comparison, 3,073 deaths linked to high temperatures were recorded during the same period last year, and 1,890 were recorded in 2024. A similar number was recorded only in 2022 (4,520).
Like much of Europe, Spain experienced a particularly hot summer this year, with one heat wave following another.
This past July was the hottest ever recorded in Spain, with this year’s high temperatures comparable only to those of 2022, according to the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet). At the same time, this July was “the driest” since records began in 1961, Aemet added.
Spain, which is on the front lines of climate change, has been experiencing longer and more frequent heat waves in recent years, with temperatures far exceeding 40 ° Celsius.
Heat rarely causes immediate death on its own, except, for example, in cases of heatstroke. In most cases, death is due to a combination of high temperatures and underlying conditions, such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, or renal diseases. That is why these deaths are reported as heat-related.
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SOURCE: APE
