Climate Change: Heat in Europe: Doctors Urge Binding Measures

Extreme heat in Europe has caused fatal consequences on an unprecedented scale this summer, with the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) estimating nearly 10,000 deaths from heat during the week of June 22-28 alone. Temperatures reached up to 40 degrees Celsius in various parts of Germany. Overall, heat-related fatalities are projected to rise to about 11,900 this year, largely due to the exceptionally hot days. This death toll is already higher than any single year since 2016, which saw around 9,000 total deaths.

Effects of the extreme heat period at the end of June were only noticeable recently, as temperatures of that magnitude had rarely been observed in Germany before. Federal state-specific figures from the Federal Statistical Office were disseminated only with a five-week delay, incorporating the RKI's estimations. The current report covers deaths from April 6 to July 26, with weekly recalculation based on newer data.

RKI calculates the figures using data from the Federal Statistical Office and 52 weather stations of the German Weather Service (DWD).

Christian M. Schulz, an anesthesiologist and emergency doctor and CEO of the German Alliance Climate and Health, emphasized that heat, especially the so-called tropical nights when temperatures do not drop below 20 degrees at night, poses a significant threat. As the body lacks recovery periods, Schulz warned that it could be particularly dangerous, especially for older adults and those with pre-existing conditions.

Dehydration, kidney failure, and heart failure are among the potential consequences, with the latter being a "silent death" over many hours and days.