According to Reuters, the German Institute for Medical Diseases (RKI) announced on September 9 that Germany has recorded approximately 5,120 deaths related to high temperatures this year. The majority of these deaths occurred in late June, during a period when the weekly average temperature exceeded 20 degrees Celsius.
According to RKI, approximately 4,270 deaths have occurred among people aged 75 and above. The number of female deaths is higher than that of males, mainly due to the higher proportion of women in the elderly population.
Germany’s data further outlines the severe heat conditions across Europe. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, an EU climate monitoring agency, stated in a announcement on the 9th that Western Europe experienced the hottest June on record, with average temperatures reaching 20.74 degrees Celsius.
According to official data from France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, a total of over 4,700 excessive deaths were reported during the heatwave from June 20 to 28.
According to statistics, the peak number of deaths related to high temperatures in Germany over the past decade occurred in 2018 and 2019, with 8,400 and 6,900 deaths respectively.
