Nearly 10,000 people died from heat in Germany this year

In Germany, 9,800 people have died from heat this year, more than in any full year since 2016. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the most severe period in 2026 was the second half of June, when temperatures in many regions reached +40°C. During this period, over 5,000 deaths were recorded.

"Of those who died from heat, 7,880 were aged 75 and older. In addition, more women died than men. However, this can be explained by the higher proportion of women in older age groups. According to RKI data, the previous maximum was recorded in 2018, when about 8,900 people died from heat-related causes over the entire year," the Institute's report said.

Experts emphasize that heat exposure is rarely the direct cause of death. Typically, death occurs due to a combination of high air temperatures and pre-existing chronic diseases.

Doctors say there is a need to modernize cooling systems in medical facilities. Currently, only a small proportion of wards in German clinics are equipped with air conditioning or other cooling means.

Earlier, Kursiv reported that the heat in Europe could have caused more than 12,000 deaths in one week.