Consequences of the heat: RKI: Around 9,600 deaths alone due to extremely hot June week
The Robert Koch Institute initially assumed around 5,000 deaths from the heatwave at the end of June. New figures show that the number of deaths as a result of the extremely hot week is likely to be almost twice as high.
Extreme heat in Germany this summer has claimed around 9,600 lives due to the intense heatwave at the end of June, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Nearly 9,600 heat-related deaths occurred between June 22 and 28, the RKI's weekly report states. The week saw temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in many parts of the country.
Overall, the number of heat-related deaths this year is estimated at 11,900, with most of them attributed to the exceptionally hot days. This year's total is higher than any year since 2016, when around 9,000 people died from heat-related causes.
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