Heat waves killed record 15,800 people in Germany

Germany's national public health body reported on Thursday that approximately 15,800 people have died from heat-related causes since early April, marking the highest death toll from extreme temperatures recorded in the country over the past decade. The Robert Koch Institute attributed 9,600 deaths to extreme heat at the end of June and another 4,000 to high temperatures during the first two weeks of August, according to its weekly report covering April 6 to Aug. 16.

The institute recorded 9,500 heat-related deaths in 2018 and 7,600 in 2019, though the figures are recalculated monthly to include updated data from previous years, a spokeswoman noted. The institute cautioned that these figures represent conservative estimates, suggesting the actual death toll could be even higher.

Diagnostic challenges

Uwe Janssens, medical director of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, said recently that many cases are not recorded as heat-related because death certificates list causes such as organ failure. While heatstroke leads directly to death in some instances, the institute explained that most victims succumb to a combination of extreme temperatures and pre-existing medical conditions.

Elderly at risk

More than half of the victims — approximately 7,960 — were aged 85 or older, while 3,900 were between 75 and 84, according to the institute's breakdown. Another 2,440 deaths occurred among those aged 65 to 74, with 1,470 victims under 65. Although more women than men died from heat-related causes overall, this reflects the larger proportion of women in Germany's older demographic segments.