About 9,600 deaths in Germany due to an extremely hot week in June

According to the latest RKI weekly report on heat-related mortality, approximately 9,600 deaths occurred during the week of June 22–28. This means that the majority of heat-related deaths in Germany so far this year can be attributed to the extremely hot days, when temperatures in many places reached around 40 degrees. According to the RKI, the total number of heat-related deaths this year is estimated to have risen to 11,900.

This means that significantly more people have already died from the heat this year than in any single year since 2016. According to the data, the highest number of heat-related deaths prior to this was in 2018, with about 9,000 for the entire year.

Effects Are Only Now Becoming Apparent

The effects of this particularly hot week and the following week are only now becoming apparent, according to the RKI. This is partly because temperatures of this magnitude have rarely, if ever, been recorded in Germany before. In addition, state-specific figures from the Federal Statistical Office are reported with a five-week delay.

According to this, the figures now fully reflect the estimated number of heat-related deaths. Previously, the RKI had estimated more than 5,000 heat-related deaths during that particularly hot period.

The current report examines the total number of heat-related deaths from April 6 through July 26. A spokeswoman said the figures are recalculated each week based on the latest data. The RKI’s data consists of estimates based on death figures from the Federal Statistical Office. Data from 52 weather stations operated by the German Weather Service (DWD) is also factored into the calculation.

Heat is particularly dangerous for older people. At just over 6,000, the highest number of deaths was recorded in the 85-and-older age group. Just under 3,000 of the deceased were between the ages of 75 and 84, and just under 1,800 were between the ages of 65 and 74. Among those under 65, there were just over 1,100 deaths.

Average temperature above 26 degrees

Typically, a heat-related increase in mortality becomes apparent when the weekly average temperature reaches 20 degrees—that is, the average of the daily and nighttime temperatures over the course of a week. According to the RKI, the average weekly temperature across Germany from June 22 to 28 was 26.4 degrees, well above this threshold. All 16 federal states recorded an average temperature above 20 degrees that week.

According to the DWD, June 2026 was the second-warmest on record, with an average temperature of 19.5 degrees. Only 2019 was even warmer on average. However, the heat wave at the end of June 2026 featured several extremes. According to the DWD, based on current data, the night of June 27–28 was the warmest on record. The DWD recorded temperatures above 41 degrees on multiple occasions. In addition, according to DWD data, the 40-degree mark was surpassed at 46 stations across Germany on June 27.

Calls for Heat Protection Policies

In light of the recent heat waves, the German Medical Association, some 80 other European health organizations, and numerous environmental groups are calling for significantly greater efforts from Germany and the EU. According to a statement by the health organizations, the declaration of a climate emergency must be translated into binding commitments, and extreme heat must be recognized as a serious health threat. Among other things, the medical professionals are calling for nursing homes, daycare centers, and schools to be made climate-resilient.