This summer, Germany recorded about 14,000 deaths linked to hot weather. Officials shared the new data on Thursday. It is the highest number in ten years of records. The old record was 8,900 deaths in 2018. Around 9,600 people died in one week in late June. At that time, temperatures rose above 40C. Most of the deaths happened among people over 75.
Other countries in Europe also suffered. Spain counted nearly 4,500 such deaths since June 1. France reported more than 7,300 extra deaths. In Germany, the heat also hurt farms and rivers. Some ministers now want stronger rules to protect people from heat.