Alarming Figures

395 victims! The deadliest heat wave month on record

Record temperatures of 40 degrees claimed 395 lives during the June heat wave—more than ever before. And already, oven-like temperatures are once again leaving us barely able to breathe, in some cases until the end of next week.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

Warning: Danger to life! In the midst of the current heat wave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, the “Krone” reveals alarming record death tolls from the start of summer. The Ministry of Health recorded an average of 13 deaths every day in June alone! These represent what is known as “excess mortality” due to extreme heat stress.

The sun beat down mercilessly from the sky, with temperatures reaching up to 40.1 degrees. The June heat wave lasted about two weeks and, at the very start of summer, shattered historic records in Vienna and Lower Austria—the first time this has happened in 259 years of recorded history.

Extreme weather system “Olaf” is relentless
Just one month later, as the second heat wave is currently rolling in, weather researchers are once again watching the mercury levels with bated breath. High-pressure system “Olaf” is relentless. Even Austria’s all-time record from August 2013 was missed by a hair’s breadth (0.2 degrees) on Friday, with a temperature of 40.3 degrees recorded in Wieselburg, Lower Austria. And it will remain this hot through the end of next week.

Due to the life-threatening extreme weather, Health Minister Korinna Schumann has already tasked the Agency for Health and Nutrition (AGES) with scientifically documenting the victims of the record-breaking temperatures—not, as is usually the case, after the summer in the fall.  “The number is shocking. It starkly demonstrates that heat is no longer merely a matter of well-being, but a concrete danger to health and life,” said the minister.

The record temperatures of 40 degrees claimed 395 lives during the June heat wave—more than ever before. And already, oven-like temperatures are once again leaving us barely able to breathe, in some cases until the end of next week.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

How the death toll is actually calculated
This is determined using what’s known as heat-associated excess mortality. The number of people who died “excessively” compared to the average is compared with mortality data from days when it’s particularly sweltering.

• The calculation is based on the latest scientific findings—the major change from the previous method is that daily, rather than weekly, weather and mortality data are now analyzed.
• In addition, the new model accounts for the delayed effects of heat, which can impact mortality for up to 21 days after an extreme heat day. This also provides a more accurate picture of longer periods of extreme weather.
• The comparison confirms that June 2026 was the deadliest month in the past ten years. June 2019 had the second-highest death toll, with 335 fatalities. The lowest number of deaths occurred at the start of summer 2020, with 40.

And the result is alarming: According to the ministry, June was the deadliest month on record! The heat claimed the lives of 395 people. That’s 13 deaths per day—and nearly as many as during the entire summer (June through September) of the previous year.

Sad Records Also in Western Europe
In Western Europe as well (see also the chart below), heat-related deaths rose to a tragic record high during what the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed was the hottest month on record.

A tragic record high in heat-related deaths due to extreme temperatures at the start of summer in Western Europe.(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

Babies and Seniors: Who Is Most at Risk
Of course, these oven-like temperatures do not affect everyone equally. Those at particular risk include pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and socially isolated individuals. Infants cannot dissipate heat as effectively as adults—specifically, through sweating, which is the body’s natural cooling mechanism. The elderly are also a highly vulnerable group because the sensation of thirst diminishes with age.

In any case, the current heat wave will once again claim many lives. The summer of 2026 will likely end up exceeding the 1,000-death mark for the first time.