Summer 2026 in Europe was the hottest summer ever recorded, with unprecedented temperatures. This season experienced temperatures higher than the previous record set in 2003. The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that this heat had significant impacts in many countries.
Increase in Hot Days
The DWD weather service in Germany announced that the number of hot days this year has been unprecedented. On average, Germany faced about 22 hot days with temperatures of at least 30 degrees Celsius and nearly five extremely hot days with temperatures of at least 35 degrees Celsius. This situation was particularly noticeable at the end of June when temperatures averaged above 26 degrees Celsius.
Heat-related Deaths
The statistics on heat-related mortality also reached unprecedented levels, with at least 16,300 people losing their lives by the end of August. Although only a few of these deaths can be directly attributed to heat, many were due to underlying health conditions exacerbated by the heat. The statistics were collected based on the correlation between the number of deaths recorded by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany and the temperatures measured in the country over a specific period.
Research shows that heat-related deaths in Germany typically increase when the weekly average temperature reaches 20 degrees Celsius or higher. In 2026, weekly average temperatures exceeded this threshold several times, and conditions, especially at night, hardly improved.
Health experts and researchers are well aware of how heat affects the human body, and there is a general consensus that excess mortality may occur during heat waves. One expert, Andreas Matzaris, a professor of environmental meteorology at the University of Freiburg, pointed out that the importance lies not only in high temperatures but also in the duration of heat and the lack of cooling at night.
According to Martin Reusli, an environmental scientist at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, low-income individuals are among the most vulnerable groups. They are more likely to live in homes that lack proper insulation and are more likely to work outdoors.
Alexandra Schneider, a meteorologist and epidemiologist at the Helmholtz Center in Munich, believes that the deaths occurring during heat waves are likely not solely due to the "harvesting effect," and some victims could have survived for months or even years.
