Heatwave linked to more than 5,000 deaths in Germany, says report
- Last updated: July 9, 2026 | 23:02
Germany has recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year, most of them in late June when weekly average temperatures far exceeded 20˚C, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health said on Thursday.
A majority of the deaths — around 4,270 — were among people aged 75 and older, the RKI said in a weekly report.
More women than men died, mainly because they make up a higher share of the very elderly. The German data add to a grim picture across Europe.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said in a bulletin on Thursday that Western Europe had experienced its hottest June on record with an average of 20.74˚C.
National authorities have reported more than 4,700 excess deaths during the June 20-28 heatwave in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands. According to the RKI, the highest numbers of heat-related deaths in Germany in the past decade were recorded in 2018 and 2019, with 8,400 and 6,900 deaths, respectively.
During the heatwave weekend of June 27-28, 120 people died in the western German city of Cologne alone — four times as many as usual - said Katharina Droege, leader of the country’s Greens party, during a parliamentary debate.
Droege accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of failing so far to comment on the heatwave, despite the rising death toll and ongoing efforts by emergency services, and she accused his government of watering down climate protection laws.
The Greens have sharply criticised the government’s draft budget for 2027, in particular for drawing billions from climate protection in order to plug budget gaps.
According to the budget draft, the cuts planned for the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) have not yet been concretely quantified.
Germany set out plans in March to help it meet 2030 climate targets and reduce its dependence on volatile fossil fuel imports, making eight billion euros available to fund measures such as expanding wind power capacity and boosting EV sales.
Europe’s biggest economy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% from 1990 levels by 2030 and to be climate-neutral by 2045. So far, however, the reduction is only about 48%, and experts say existing policies are insufficient.
WESTERN EUROPE RECORDS HOTTEST JUNE ON RECORD
Western Europe just experienced its warmest June on record, EU scientists confirmed on Thursday, after an extreme heatwave at the end of the month smashed temperature records, disrupted power supplies and shut schools.
Last month was also the second-warmest June globally, and the planet experienced the highest June sea surface temperatures since records began, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a monthly bulletin.
The average temperature in Western Europe last month was 20.74˚C, more than 3˚C above the average for June during 1991-2020, the data showed.
Copernicus defines the region as spreading from Spain and the United Kingdom eastwards as far as Italy, Germany and part of Austria.
Western Europe has now suffered three intense heatwaves in as many months, with countries including Spain and Portugal in the grip of another this week.
"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
"The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond." National authorities reported more than 4,700 excess deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands during the June heatwave — with the total across other countries likely to be higher — while the intense heat also fuelled wildfires in Iberia and France and exacerbated drought conditions.
Reuters