Europe heatwave kills over 25,000 as temperatures hit record levels

A summer heatwave across Western Europe has set unprecedented temperature records, with surface sea temperatures at historic highs, accelerated glacier melt and severe river droughts. The European Centre for Medium‑Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) director Florian Pappenberger warned that “Europe is the continent that warms fastest and the impacts are already serious.” The German Weather Service reported the Rhine’s water level in Cologne fell to a record low, and many rivers across the continent are flowing at reduced volumes.

Health agencies estimate that the extreme heat has caused more than 25,000 excess deaths across Europe. The Robert Koch Institute in Germany attributes roughly 11,900 of those fatalities to the heat, the highest national toll, with additional deaths reported in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Officials have issued repeated heat warnings, noting that high temperatures combined with humidity and night‑time heat increase the risk of heat‑related illness and death, especially among vulnerable populations.