More than 30,000 excess deaths in Europe linked to summer heat waves

The heat waves that hit Europe this summer have already caused a significant increase in mortality. According to provisional data published Friday by the European platform EuroMomo and several national health authorities, more than 30,000 excess deaths have been recorded since the end of May, while the summer season is not yet completely over.

Between mid-June and mid-August, EuroMomo, which analyzes official data from 23 European countries, estimates the number of additional deaths recorded compared to expected levels at more than 32,000. The last week of June was the deadliest, with nearly 16,000 excess deaths, followed by the first week of July with around 8,000 additional deaths. These two periods correspond to episodes of severe heat that affected a large part of the continent.

Available national reports confirm the impact of high temperatures. In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute estimates the number of heat-related deaths at around 14,000 until August 9, a record level since these estimates began in 2016. In France, Public Health France has provisionally recorded 7,300 excess deaths during periods of extreme heat between the end of May and July 22, a figure likely to change after the subsequent heat episodes.

Other countries have also recorded a notable increase in mortality. Belgium reported 2,570 additional deaths between June 18 and July 17, according to the Sciensano institute. In Spain, nearly 4,500 deaths attributable to heat were recorded between June 1 and August 19 by the Carlos III Health Institute, while the British agency UKHSA estimates the number of deaths linked to heat episodes in England during the heatwaves of May and June at 2,877.

In the Netherlands, an analysis of data from the Netherlands Institute for Public Health and the Environment shows 968 excess deaths between June 22 and July 5. In Austria, the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) puts heat-related deaths at 395 in June, a level never reached for this period in the data available since 2017. In Portugal, more than 600 excess deaths were recorded between mid-June and the end of July.

European health authorities emphasize that these figures remain provisional and will be refined in the coming weeks. People aged 75 and over are among the most affected populations, according to available data. The evolution of the balance sheet will depend in particular on the integration of the last episodes of high heat observed during the summer of 2026.