More than 5,000 people die in heatwave in Germany

In a report published on Thursday, it was stated that most of the deaths occurred in late June, when the weekly average temperature rose well above 20 degrees Celsius.

According to the report, 4,270 of the deceased were aged 75 or older. Due to the higher number of women among the elderly population, the death toll also includes a comparatively higher number of women.

Germany's statistics have further highlighted the severity of the ongoing heatwave across Europe. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Monitoring Service said that June this year was the hottest June on record in Western Europe. The region's average temperature during this period was 20.74 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, authorities in France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands have reported that more than 4,700 additional people died due to the heatwave from June 20 to 28.

According to data from the Robert Koch Institute, the highest number of heatwave-related deaths in Germany in the past decade occurred in 2018 and 2019, with 8,400 and 6,900 deaths respectively.

During the heatwave on June 27 and 28, 120 people died in the city of Cologne in western Germany, which is nearly four times the normal rate.

In response to the situation, German Green Party leader Katharina Dröge alleged that despite the rising number of heatwave deaths, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has not yet commented on the matter. She also accused the government of weakening climate protection laws.