Approximately 12,500 people died in Germany in 2026 due to the effects of extreme heat. Data to this effect was published on August 13 by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), an agency under the German Federal Ministry of Health.
According to the report, the number of heat-related deaths this year significantly exceeded the annual average. Among the last ten years, 2018 and 2019 were particularly severe, with 9,400 and 7,700 heat-related deaths recorded, respectively. Experts suggest that the final figure for 2026 could be even higher.
In late June 2026, a heatwave gripped Western European countries—primarily France and Spain, as well as Italy, the UK, and Germany. On August 2, Bloomberg reported that Europe’s heavy industry was suffering as the region’s major rivers dried up amidst the prolonged heatwave affecting the continent.
Later, on August 7, the TV channel NTV reported that the water level of the Rhine near DĂĽsseldorf had dropped to a record low of 14 cm. The issue affected other major European rivers as well; notably, a drop in water levels was recorded on the Danube.
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