MOSCOW, Sept 4 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- Over 16,000 people died due to heat waves in Germany in 2026, the highest number since at least 2016, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
As of Sept 3, the estimated number of heat-related deaths in Germany reached 16,300.
Most of the deaths, approximately 8,200, were among those aged 85 and over.
The institute noted that this is the highest death toll since at least 2016.
Meanwhile, French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut said the country experienced its hottest heatwave since records began in 1900.
“We have experienced the hottest summer since records began in 1900,” Barbut said at a press conference on Thursday.
The minister noted that the heat-induced wildfires and drought were unprecedented.
As of the end of August, the area burned was six times the average for the past 20 years, she added.
Soil aridity levels reached their highest levels, while water levels in most reservoirs dropped to record lows over the past 20 years, Barbut said.
Europe is experiencing one of the hottest periods in recent years, with Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece hit hardest.
French authorities said that the economic damage from the heatwave could reach up to €15 billion (US$17.4 billion).
-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI
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