Europe's Summer Heat Killed Over 33,000 People — A Record for Eight Countries

The extreme heat and drought that gripped Europe in the summer of 2025 have been linked to more than 33,000 excess deaths across eight countries — Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain and England. The figures, reported by AFP citing official health statistics from these nations, cover the period from late May through August.

According to the EuroMomo monitoring platform, the deadliest week was the last week of June, followed closely by the first week of July. People over 75 faced the highest risk. Experts believe the actual continent-wide death toll could be roughly 2,000 higher still, since data from many countries takes weeks or even months to be fully processed.

Germany tops the grim list

Germany recorded the highest number of heat-related excess deaths — 14,000 cases between April and August, according to the Robert Koch Institute, which called it the deadliest summer since records began. In Spain, the Carlos III Health Institute estimated the heat claimed nearly 4,950 lives — the highest toll for this period since 2022 — while July was the country's hottest month on the mainland since 1961.

In France, the national health authority counted 7,300 heat-related deaths between late May and the end of July. In England, more than 2,800 people died during the May-June heatwaves. Belgium was hit especially hard: according to preliminary estimates from the public health institute Sciensano, the small nation lost 2,570 people above normal mortality levels between June 18 and July 17.

A study cited by the European Commission found that Poland's June heatwave caused around 1,070 additional deaths. In Austria, 396 people died in June alone, while Portugal recorded roughly 600 deaths between mid-June and the end of July.

Why the real numbers are likely even higher

Countries use different methods to calculate heat-related deaths. Spain and Germany, for instance, rely on real-time modeling that cross-references daily temperatures with mortality rates. This approach is necessary because heat rarely kills directly — more often it exacerbates chronic cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Because of reporting delays, experts believe the published figures are likely undercounts.

According to the World Health Organization, heat-related mortality in Europe has risen by more than 30 percent over the past 20 years. Scientists attribute the growing frequency and intensity of temperature extremes primarily to global warming, which is driving heatwaves that are not only more frequent but also longer and more severe.

The heat dome reached Czechia too

In August, Central Europe was blanketed by a so-called heat dome — a phenomenon in which a high-pressure system traps warm air near the ground, much like a lid on a pot. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute warned earlier that month of temperatures reaching up to 39°C, with tropical nights preventing the body from recovering adding to the strain. In the town of Strážnice in the Hodonín region, thermometers hit 40.3°C — the highest reading ever recorded there.

Experts warn that continued warming, new heat domes expected in August, and a strengthening El Niño could make 2027 the hottest year in the history of weather observation.

Source: denik.cz