Germany heatwave drives ER visits to record 6.4% of total, RKI data shows

According to the Robert Koch Institute, the proportion of heat-related patients at the end of June was six times higher than normal — an extreme value never recorded before.

Published: July 13, 2026, 7:58 PM

By Gereon Asmuth

The heatwave at the end of June not only led to record temperatures but also placed extreme strain on the healthcare system in Germany. This is indicated by figures published for the first time by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Monday.

According to the data, the proportion of patients treated in emergency rooms for heat-related effects was six times higher than usual on the last weekend of June — an extreme value that significantly exceeds all figures recorded since January 2022.

The values come from a data project analyzing the strain on emergency departments. Previously, figures on influenza-like illnesses, COVID-19 cases, and gastrointestinal infections had been published. The calculation of "heat-associated emergency room visits" has now been reported for the first time since Monday. These "rose significantly" in the last week of June, the RKI wrote in a post on Bluesky.

The graph shows the "relative proportion" of patients with corresponding symptoms compared to all emergency room patients. This includes, among others, patients with damage from sunlight, sunburn, as well as problems with the circulatory system.

Key Data Points

• Normal proportion of heat-related patients: 1.0 to 1.2 percent
• Previous peaks (summer 2022 and 2025): 3.0 to 3.6 percent
• June 27 (Saturday): 6.3 percent
• June 28 (Sunday): 6.4 percent

These were the two days at the end of a multi-day heat dome over Germany when record temperatures of up to 41.7 degrees Celsius were measured.

Limitations and Context

The figures published by the RKI are based only on data from 36 hospitals that participated in the recording. In total, there are around 1,100 emergency rooms in Germany. The data is therefore explicitly not representative. However, they are another indication that the heatwave, fueled by climate change, was an extreme event with dramatic consequences.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 4,400 people died on that Sunday. The normal number of deaths for a June day is around 2,500.

On Thursday, the RKI will publish its new weekly report on heat-related mortality. It is quite possible that it will already become clear that there were more heat-related deaths this summer than in all previously analyzed years.