Germany Records Over 5,000 Heat-Related Deaths Amid Europe’s Hottest June on Record

Germany has reported approximately 5,120 deaths linked to extreme heat so far this year, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the country's public health authority. Most fatalities occurred in late June when weekly temperatures significantly exceeded average levels. Of those who died, around 4,270 were aged 75 and older, with a higher number of women affected due to their larger representation in the elderly population.

The heatwave has intensified political pressure on the German government. Katrin Dröge, leader of the Green Party, highlighted that during the peak heatwave weekend of June 27-28, the city of Cologne experienced 120 deaths, four times the usual number. She criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his lack of response to the crisis and accused his administration of weakening climate protection laws.

These figures add to a troubling pattern across Europe, where the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that Western Europe endured its hottest June ever recorded. Between June 20 and 28, over 4,700 excess deaths were reported in France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. Germany’s most severe heat-related death tolls in the past decade were in 2018 and 2019, with approximately 8,400 and 6,900 deaths respectively.