Germany Records Nearly 100 Drowning Deaths During June Heatwave

Last month, 99 people drowned in Germany during a dangerous heatwave, making it the country's deadliest June for drowning in more than 20 years. Temperatures in some parts of Germany reached as high as 41.7°C (107.1°F), pushing people toward rivers and lakes to cool off. Most of the victims were young men — more than 90% were male, and 40 of them were under the age of 30. Extreme heat like this has swept across much of western Europe, causing hundreds of extra deaths.

Germany's lifeguarding federation said the country had not seen this many drowning deaths since June 2003, when 107 people died in another bad heatwave. The World Health Organization reported that more than 1,300 people across Europe died during the hot start to summer. In France alone, 131 people died by drowning since June 19, according to the country's sports minister.

Germany's public health agency reported that at least 5,120 people in the country died from heat-related causes this year, mostly in June. About 4,270 of those victims were aged 75 or older, showing that older people faced the greatest danger. Scientists say human-caused climate change is making extreme heatwaves more common and more deadly around the world.

In France, the extreme heat this weekend forced famous landmarks to close early. The Eiffel Tower, which usually stays open past midnight in summer, shut its doors at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Two of Paris's most visited museums — the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay — also closed early because of the dangerous temperatures.

France was going through its third heatwave since May, and about 24 of its regions were placed under the country's highest heat warning. More than 22 million people lived in those areas. The national weather service issued the top alert as temperatures soared across a large part of the country.

Even the Tour de France cycling race was changed because of the heat. Organizers cut Sunday's stage by 30 kilometers — the first time this has ever happened in the race's history. Belgian cyclist Tim Merlier said the heat had been brutal all week, adding that it was 'definitely a fight to have water, ice and drinks.'

French President Emmanuel Macron urged people to stay careful, warning that nine out of ten wildfires are started by human activity. Many French towns also canceled their Bastille Day fireworks on July 14, worried that sparks could ignite fires in the dry conditions. France recorded more than 2,000 extra deaths during the June heatwave and 300 more during the heat in late May.

In Spain, a wildfire in the south killed at least 12 people before it was brought under control. About 1,500 people who had fled their homes were allowed to return after officials said the fire was no longer spreading. Officials said some victims may have been foreign visitors, including British citizens.

The son of one Belgian victim said emergency services gave no instructions before the fire arrived at the mountain village of Bédar. Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt said he spoke to his father by phone just before the flames reached them. 'The people who died did not fail to follow any orders because no orders were given,' he said. 'They only started to run when the flames were almost upon them.'