Europe Heatwave
A running situation · 3 stories · 27 signals
At least 35,000 excess deaths have been recorded across Europe during four record-breaking heatwaves this summer, according to incomplete figures covering barely half the continent, updating earlier provisional estimates that put the toll above 30,000.
The revised tally emerged after provisional data had already signalled the continent's deadliest summer in years. Experts expect the final toll to rise significantly once August figures are consolidated across all reporting nations.
Germany, France and Spain alone account for more than 25,000 excess deaths in provisional national data. The Robert Koch Institute estimated 14,000 heat-related deaths in Germany between 6 April and 9 August, including 9,600 in a single week in late June. Spain's Carlos III Health Institute attributed 4,947 deaths to heat between May and late August, surpassing the country's previous worst year of 2022. France reported 7,300 excess deaths between late May and 22 July.
Global sea surface temperatures reached an unprecedented 21.1°C on Aug. 22, surpassing the previous record of 21.09°C set in March 2024, according to new data. The spike is unusual because ocean temperatures typically peak in March and April, not August. Scientists attribute the anomaly to a combination of climate change and a developing strong El Niño, with studies suggesting oceans may not have been this warm for as much as 125,000 years.
Waters around the Iberian Peninsula are heating 67% faster than the global average, rising at 0.25°C per decade, according to Greenpeace. The Mediterranean exceeded 33°C for the first time, while the Cantabrian Sea broke 28°C for the first time since 1990. Twelve monitoring buoys recorded historic heat records this summer.
Marine heat waves worldwide have more than tripled since the early 1990s, threatening marine ecosystems and contributing to higher sea levels.
France has recorded 301 drownings since 19 June, marking a 14% increase compared with the same period in 2025, Minister Marina Ferrari announced Sunday. The toll has more than doubled since 15 July, when officials reported 142 fatalities.
The surge coincides with the hottest start to summer on record in western Europe. Temperatures exceeding 40°C have affected 30 million people in France since mid-June, and three-quarters of drownings occurred during three heatwaves that struck in late May, late June and early July. Authorities have also linked extreme heat to more than 7,300 excess deaths between mid-June and 22 July.
Most fatal drownings took place in unsupervised and unauthorised swimming areas, including private pools, open water and canals. 87% of those who died were adults.