By Mardiyyah Abubakar
Germany has recorded an estimated 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer as severe heatwaves continue across Europe.
The country’s public health institute, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), released the estimate on Thursday.
People aged over 75 were the worst affected. About 9,600 heat-related deaths were recorded in one week in late June, when temperatures exceeded 40°C in parts of Germany.
The RKI estimated another 4,000 heat-related deaths between late July and mid-August.
The figure is almost twice Germany’s previous record of 8,900 heat-related deaths recorded in 2018.
Extreme heat can be fatal on its own but is more often deadly when it worsens existing conditions such as heart, respiratory and kidney diseases.
France, Britain and Spain have also reported thousands of excess deaths linked to extreme summer temperatures.
The record heat has increased calls for stronger climate adaptation measures in Germany.
Environmental Action Germany criticised the government for failing to introduce new measures and called for more funding and legal changes to help cities reduce heat through tree planting and removing paved surfaces.
The group warned that climate change could make future summers even hotter.
