Health agencies caution that the toll is likely to rise further in August and September
Europe’s four largest countries have recorded more than 25,000 likely heat-related deaths in 2026 so far, according to latest data compiled nationally.
Summer temperatures across Europe have repeatedly surged past 35°C over the last few months, with record‑breaking heatwaves triggering public health alerts and putting care systems under strain. The four most populous EU countries – Germany, France, Spain and Italy – are among the hardest hit, each reporting sharp increases in heat-related deaths.
Taken together, the countries’ figures amount to more than 25,000 heat-related deaths.
Spain said on Thursday that it had registered nearly 4,500 heat-related deaths between 1 June and 19 August, the highest number during this period since 2022, according to the public Carlos III Health Institute. These figures were estimated by Spain’s Mortality Monitoring System, which tracks daily mortality nationwide and compares it to historical trends.
