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.