Sunita Somvanshi
At least 35,000 more people died across Europe this summer than would normally be expected, during four record-breaking heatwaves that struck the continent in sequence. These numbers come from incomplete data covering barely half the continent, and the true toll is almost certainly higher.
National health agencies and EU-wide excess mortality data available since 2008 track what are called excess deaths—the extra deaths that occur during extreme heat beyond what would happen in normal conditions. This summer’s wave was exceptional in its duration and intensity.
Germany recorded the highest death toll. The Robert Koch Institute reported that this summer was by far the worst for heat-related deaths in Germany since records began. The previous high was 8,900 deaths in 2018. During normal summers, heat-related deaths in Germany are typically below 2,000.
France reported 7,300 excess deaths between late May and July 22. More than 500 weather stations across the country recorded temperatures above 40°C, and at one point 98% of France was under heat alerts. However, these figures are based on electronic death certificates that account for only 80% of total mortality, meaning the final count will be higher.
The pattern was similar across Europe. Belgium saw a 39% increase in mortality between June 18 and 29, equating to 1,222 additional deaths. The Netherlands reported at least 900 more deaths than usual between June 22 and July 5. Early figures from Luxembourg, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Denmark each show about 40 excess deaths.
What makes these heatwaves particularly deadly is that they came in rapid succession. Spain and Germany both set all-time temperature records across hundreds of weather stations during the spring and summer. In Germany, 46 weather stations topped 40°C (104°F) on three consecutive days in late June. The fourth consecutive heatwave in the UK strained transport and power networks in the same period, while southern Europe saw wildfires burning double the normal area.
Heat is rarely listed as a direct cause of death on certificates. Most victims die from heart attacks, strokes, or kidney failure, with heat acting as a contributing factor that worsens existing health conditions like cardiovascular or respiratory disease. This makes attribution difficult and means final figures take weeks or even months to compile. Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute and its German counterpart both model heat-related deaths in real time, comparing daily temperatures against mortality rates, and forecasting systems that flag heat deaths a week in advance are being trialled to close that reporting gap.
The World Health Organization noted in May 2026 that heat-related mortality in its European region had already increased by more than 30% over the past 20 years. The scale of the current season follows the pattern set during this year’s heat and drought across Spain and France, and public warning systems have come under scrutiny in the United States, where the effectiveness of dangerous-heat alerts has been questioned.
Areas inhabited by more than 80 million Europeans experienced temperatures above 40°C this summer. In the EU-wide records kept since 2008, the only other summer week with a higher rate of additional deaths was in July 2022, when Covid-19 was still active.
