The Robert Koch Institute has sharply revised upward its estimate of heat-related deaths during a late-June heatwave, now placing the toll at roughly 9,600 — nearly doubling a prior figure of 5,000 after the week's full mortality data became available.
The deaths between June 22 and 28 alone eclipsed Germany's previous annual record of about 9,000 heat-related fatalities set in 2018, bringing the cumulative 2026 toll to an estimated 11,900. More than 6,000 victims were aged 85 or older, the institute said, while overall excess mortality has reached an estimated 14,600.
The week coincided with record-breaking heat, including the warmest night on record and 46 stations exceeding 40 degrees Celsius on June 27, when a national high of 41.8 degrees was logged in Saxony-Anhalt.