New Delhi: Europe has recorded at least 35,000 excess deaths during a summer marked by four consecutive, record-breaking heatwaves, making 2026 one of
the continent’s deadliest years for extreme heat. The figure is expected to rise further as several countries are yet to publish complete mortality data for August.
Germany, France and Spain have emerged as the worst-affected countries, accounting for more than 25,000 of the deaths recorded so far. Back-to-back heatwaves shattered temperature records across western Europe, with hundreds of weather stations reporting temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and several countries experiencing their hottest days ever recorded.
Heat crisis in Europe
Germany has reported an estimated 14,000 heat-related deaths between April and early August, its highest toll since national records began. Spain has attributed nearly 5,000 deaths to heat between May and August, surpassing the country’s previous record set in 2022. France has recorded around 7,300 excess deaths between late May and July, though officials say that figure remains incomplete because August deaths have not yet been fully counted.
Health authorities note that heat rarely appears as the official cause of death. Instead, prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures worsens existing cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases, leading to higher mortality, particularly among older adults
A major, compounding problem
The scale of the deaths comes amid increasingly intense and prolonged heat across Europe. The Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded western Europe’s hottest June on record in 2026, with temperatures more than 3 degree Celsius above the 1991–2020 average.
The World Health Organization says heat-related deaths in its European region have increased by more than 30 per cent over the past two decades, as climate change drives more frequent and severe heatwaves while an ageing population leaves more people vulnerable. Older adults, children, outdoor workers and people with existing illnesses face the greatest risks. Beyond mortality, the heat has disrupted transport, strained power generation and healthcare systems, damaged crops and worsened drought and wildfire conditions.
The provisional toll also puts the summer of 2026 in historical perspective. Europe recorded roughly 35,000 excess deaths during the devastating 2003 heatwave, meaning this year’s estimated toll has already reached a comparable level even though the current figures cover only part of the continent and do not yet include complete August data.
Scientists say rising temperatures are making extreme heat a growing public-health threat, with the combination of climate change and Europe’s ageing population expected to make future heatwaves increasingly deadly. Worsening climate change and associated global warming only compounds the problem.
