Heat-related illness patients in late summer up threefold over past decade: data

Government data has revealed a sharp increase in heat-related illness cases during late summer over the past decade. From 2011 to 2015, an average of 215 patients per year were reported, but this figure surged to 658 cases annually between 2016 and 2020. The trend continued in 2021 to 2025, with an average of 638 cases per year.

Tragically, deaths linked to these illnesses also rose, jumping from an annual average of 3.3 patients from 2012 to 2015 to over four patients from 2016 to 2025. In 2024 alone, 1,299 individuals fell victim to heat-related illnesses, and 12 lost their lives from August 1 to August 31. Despite predictions of ongoing heat waves until late August, the country is currently experiencing daytime temperatures ranging from 31 to 35 degrees Celsius.