Germany heat deaths surge to 5,120 in first half of 2026, nearly double 2025 total
The Robert Koch Institute estimates 5,120 people died from heat in Germany by the end of June, driven by a late-June heatwave that pushed temperatures above 40°C.
Germany has already recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths in 2026, nearly double the 2,600 deaths attributed to heat in all of 2025, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The figures, published in the institute's weekly mortality report, cover the period from 6 April to 28 June and include the severe heatwave that struck in the last week of June.
National toll and regional disparities
Nationwide, the heat-related mortality rate stands at 6.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants for the first half of 2026. The burden is unevenly distributed: Saarland recorded the highest rate at 15.5 per 100,000, followed by Rhineland-Palatinate at 13.6. Hessen saw 600 deaths (9.5 per 100,000), while Berlin and Brandenburg reported 120 and 110 deaths respectively, with rates of 3.3 and 4.4 per 100,000.
- Berlin
- 3.3 per 100,000
- Brandenburg
- 4.4 per 100,000
- Germany (avg)
- 6.2 per 100,000
- Hessen
- 9.5 per 100,000
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- 13.6 per 100,000
- Saarland
- 15.5 per 100,000
The late-June heatwave
A brutal heatwave during the week of 22–28 June pushed the average of day and night temperatures across Germany to 26.4°C, well above the 20°C threshold at which the RKI observes a marked rise in mortality. In many regions, including Thuringia and Hesse, maximum temperatures exceeded 40°C. The German Weather Service (DWD) noted that June 2026 was the second-warmest June since records began, with a mean temperature of 19.5°C.
How the RKI counts heat deaths
Because heat rarely appears as an official cause, the RKI uses statistical modelling that combines mortality data from the Federal Statistical Office with air temperature readings from 52 DWD weather stations. The resulting estimates come with a wide range: for Hesse, the institute's statisticians calculate between 350 and 860 heat-related deaths up to the end of June.Heat is generally not listed as a cause of death on the death certificate.
A decade of heat mortality in Thuringia
Thuringia illustrates the long-term pattern. The RKI estimates 120 heat deaths there in the first half of 2026, already exceeding the 40 recorded in all of 2025. Over the past ten years, heatwaves have caused an estimated 770 deaths in the state, with peaks of 180 in 2018 and 140 in 2019. The institute warns that further heat periods this summer are likely to drive mortality higher again.
- 180 heat deaths, the highest annual toll in the past decade.
- 140 heat deaths recorded.
- 40 heat deaths for the full year.
- 120 heat deaths already, surpassing the 2025 total.
Who is most at risk
Heat rarely kills directly, except in cases of heat stroke. Most fatalities occur when extreme temperatures combine with pre-existing conditions, particularly cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases. The RKI and physicians consistently warn that the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, children and outdoor workers face the greatest danger.
