RKI Heatwave Deaths Report: Over 5,000 Die in Germany

BERLIN – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – Germany is grappling with a deadly summer. According to a new RKI heatwave deaths report, close to 5,120 people have died from heat-related causes so far this year. Most of these deaths happened in late June, when weekly temperatures climbed far above 20 degrees Celsius across the country.

The numbers paint a troubling picture. Around 4,270 of the deaths were people aged 75 and above. Health officials say elderly bodies struggle more to cope with extreme heat, which makes older citizens especially vulnerable during long hot spells.

Women made up a larger share of the deaths than men. Experts explain this isn’t surprising, since women tend to live longer and simply make up a bigger portion of the very old population in Germany.

Germany isn’t alone in this crisis. Fresh data confirms that France Belgium Spain heatwave deaths, along with the Netherlands, have also risen sharply. Together, these four countries reported more than 4,700 excess deaths during just one brutal stretch, June 20 to 28.

The European Union’s climate monitor, Copernicus, backed up these grim findings. It confirmed that Western Europe just lived through its hottest June ever recorded, with average temperatures hitting 20.74 degrees Celsius.

Looking back, this year isn’t even the worst Germany has faced. The past decade saw higher death tolls in 2018 and 2019, when 8,400 and 6,900 people died from heat, respectively. Still, this year’s numbers add fresh urgency to an already worrying trend.

One city bore a particularly heavy burden. Cologne recorded 120 deaths over just one weekend, June 27 and 28. That’s four times its usual death rate, according to Greens party leader Katharina Droege.

Droege didn’t hold back during a recent parliamentary debate. She criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for staying silent on the heatwave, even as emergency crews worked around the clock and the death toll kept climbing.

Her party has also taken aim at the government’s 2027 budget plans. The Greens argue that pulling billions of euros from climate protection funds, just to cover other budget gaps, sends the wrong message at the wrong time.

Details on exactly how much will be cut from the Climate and Transformation Fund remain unclear. The draft budget hasn’t spelled out firm numbers yet, leaving many questions unanswered.

Back in March, Germany laid out ambitious climate goals. The plan includes eight billion euros to boost wind power and electric vehicle sales, aiming to cut reliance on fossil fuel imports and hit 2030 climate targets.

Germany’s overall goal is bold: cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, and reaching climate neutrality by 2045. Right now, though, the country has only managed a 48 percent reduction.

Experts warn that current policies simply aren’t strong enough to close that gap. As heatwaves grow more frequent and deadly, pressure is mounting on Germany’s government to act faster, both to protect its citizens today and to meet its climate promises for tomorrow.