Record Drowning Deaths in Germany During June Heatwave
Authorities have reported nearly 100 drowning deaths in Germany last month, marking the highest toll in over 20 years. The majority of the victims were young men, as extreme temperatures surged across western Europe, contributing to hundreds of excess deaths.
According to official figures, 99 people drowned in June, coinciding with temperatures reaching up to 41.7°C (107.1°F) in some regions. The victims were predominantly young men, with 40 individuals under the age of 30, representing the largest age group among those identified. Over 90% of the drowning victims were male.
The German lifeguarding federation stated,
“The country had not registered this many drownings since the heatwave of June 2003, when 107 people died.”
Across Europe, more than 1,300 deaths have been attributed to the intense start of summer. In France, sports minister Marina Ferrari reported that drowning caused 131 deaths since 19 June.
Last week, Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, the main public health authority, indicated that most of the excess deaths occurred in June, with approximately 4,270 fatalities among people aged 75 and older.
Human-induced climate change is intensifying worldwide, leading to more frequent and severe disasters such as heatwaves and wildfires.
Early Closures and Heatwave Impact in France
During this weekend’s heatwave, the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks in Paris announced early closures as a quarter of France endured the third heatwave since May.
Twenty-four departments, home to 22.2 million people according to Agence France-Presse, were placed under the highest alert level by Météo-France, the national weather service.
The Eiffel Tower operator declared that the monument would close early at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday due to forecasted high temperatures. Normally, the 330-metre-high (1,083 ft) landmark, which attracts 7 million visitors annually, remains open past midnight during peak season.
Similarly, two of Paris’s most popular museums, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, announced early closures. The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, stated it would close at 4pm from Friday through Monday, while the Musée d’Orsay planned to close early from 5pm on Saturday until Wednesday due to extreme heat.
The Tour de France cycling race organizers also modified Sunday’s 185.5-km (115 miles) stage by removing a hilly loop because of the intense heat, marking the first time in the event’s history such a decision was made.
Belgian cyclist Tim Merlier, winner of Saturday’s stage, welcomed the change, saying,
“We are now one week of racing; it was always above 35C degrees. It’s definitely a fight to have water, ice and drinks between the [support] cars.”
Across France, numerous towns canceled their Bastille Day fireworks scheduled for 14 July due to heightened fire risks amid dry conditions.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged vigilance, warning that nine out of ten fires result from human activity. He wrote on X,
“A single second of inattention can put families at risk, endanger those who protect us and destroy our countryside.”
France recorded over 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwave and 300 during the late May heat, according to official data. The government has faced criticism and accusations of being unprepared for the extreme weather.
Wildfire Containment and Evacuations in Spain
In southern Spain, a wildfire that killed at least 12 people as they attempted to flee has been contained, allowing approximately 1,500 evacuees to return home, officials reported.
Juan Manuel Moreno, head of the regional government of Andalucía, stated,
“The fire has been contained within its perimeter and brought under control, with no danger of flames spreading. This is, so to speak, the beginning of the end of a terrifying wildfire that has set records for how quickly it spread.”
Moreno added that about 600 evacuees from the Almería province fire zone had returned home late Saturday, with the remaining 1,000 expected to return in stages.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to visit the affected area on Monday.
Officials noted that many victims may be foreign nationals, including several Britons.
The son of a Belgian man who died in the wildfires challenged authorities’ claims that victims ignored official shelter-in-place advice, stating emergency services provided no guidance.
Belgian virologist Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt told he spoke by phone with his father, 63-year-old businessman Stanislas Verdonckt, shortly before 9pm on Thursday as the fire approached the mountain village of Bédar in Almería.
He said,
“The people who died did not fail to follow any orders because no orders were given. No information was provided. They only started to run when the flames were almost upon them. That was their absolute last resort.”
Agence France-Presse and contributed to this report.
