Europe heatwaves cause at least 35,000 excess deaths

heatwaves excess mortality climate change extreme heat Europe

Four consecutive record-breaking heatwaves across Europe this summer have caused at least 35,000 excess deaths, according to preliminary data covering roughly half of the continent. Experts warn the final toll will likely rise significantly once August data is fully processed.

In Germany, France, and Spain alone, excess mortality has already surpassed 25,000. Germany has recorded the highest number of fatalities, with the Robert Koch Institute estimating approximately 14,000 heat-related deaths between April 6 and August 9. A single week in late June saw roughly 9,600 excess deaths in the country.

Spain has also seen record-breaking impacts. The Carlos III Health Institute's MoMo system estimates 5,030 deaths attributable to heat during the summer period, making 2026 a record year for heat-related mortality in the country.

France recorded its highest average national daily temperature on record. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of these extreme thermal events to human-induced global warming.

Entities

Aydın · Boğaziçi University · Carlos III Health Institute · Copernicus · Copernicus Climate Change Service · Diyarbakır · Europe · European Union · France · Germany · Istanbul · Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Extreme heat impacted infrastructure, agriculture, transport, and water and energy supplies. abcnews.al · www.albinfo.ch · telegrafi.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The additional deaths occurred primarily in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Belgium. abcnews.al · www.albinfo.ch · telegrafi.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Western Europe experienced five heatwaves between May 1 and mid-August. abcnews.al · www.albinfo.ch · telegrafi.com · almakos.com · shenja.tv
[● 5 SOURCES] Temperatures in some areas exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. abcnews.al · www.albinfo.ch · telegrafi.com · almakos.com · shenja.tv
[● 5 SOURCES] Satellite data recorded maximum temperatures from May 1 to August 19. abcnews.al · www.albinfo.ch · telegrafi.com · almakos.com · shenja.tv
[● 5 SOURCES] Extreme heat may be linked to approximately 10,000 additional deaths. abcnews.al · www.albinfo.ch · telegrafi.com · almakos.com · shenja.tv
[● 2 SOURCES] 33,000 excess deaths or heat-related deaths were recorded in eight specific countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. melliun.org · aftabnews.ir
[● 5 SOURCES] Approximately 16,000 excess deaths occurred during the week of June 22 to June 28. www.dagens.no · www.vg.no · melliun.org · aftabnews.ir · spotmedia.ro
[○ 1 SOURCE] Temperatures reached between 44 and 45 degrees Celsius in Spain and France between June 20 and June 24. www.dagens.no
[● 2 SOURCES] Heatwaves in Europe have resulted in over 30,000 deaths this summer. melliun.org · aftabnews.ir
[● 2 SOURCES] Germany, France, and Belgium experienced the highest mortality increases due to lower levels of air conditioning adaptation. www.dagens.no · www.vg.no
[○ 1 SOURCE] Germany recorded a temperature of 41.7 degrees Celsius on June 28. www.dagens.no