Schätzung zu Hitzetoten: RKI: Inzwischen rund 15.800 Menschen durch Hitze gestorben

The Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) estimates that around 15,800 people have died in Germany due to heat this year, as of mid-August. This figure includes 9,600 deaths attributed to extreme heat in late June and an additional 4,000 deaths from the exceptionally high temperatures in the first two weeks of August. The data covers the period from April 6th to August 16th, showing a significantly higher number of heat-related fatalities compared to the previous decade.

The highest number of heat-related deaths in recent years was recorded in 2019 with 7,600 and in 2018 with 9,500.

The RKI mentions that the numbers are conservative estimates and could be higher as the organization recalculates monthly, including previous years. It is possible that the total number of heat-related deaths this year could be even higher. Uwe Janssens, the medical director of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), has previously stated that many cases are not recorded as heat-related because death certificates often list organ failure as the cause.

Most heat-related deaths occur in people aged 85 and above, with over half of this year's fatalities (approximately 7,960) falling into this age group. In the 75-84 age range, 3,900 people died, while 2,440 individuals between 65-74 years old and 1,470 people younger than 65 years old also succumbed to heat. More women than men died from heat-related causes, which can be attributed to the higher proportion of elderly individuals among women.

The RKI calculates these numbers based on death statistics from the Federal Statistical Office and incorporates data from 52 weather stations operated by the German Weather Service (DWD). The highest heat-related death rates per 100,000 inhabitants this year were observed in Saarland (53) and Rhineland-Palatinate (48), as well as Hesse (35) and Baden-Württemberg (32).

Generally, an increase in mortality is typically seen when the weekly average temperature reaches 20 degrees Celsius, which is the average of daily and nighttime temperatures over a week.