A heatwave sweeping across parts of Europe has pushed temperatures in some areas of Germany as high as 41.7°C, prompting many people to cool off in lakes and rivers, but officials and rescuers have warned of rising risks as drowning deaths climbed sharply in June.
Citing a 12 July report by The Guardian, the article said the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) recorded 99 drowning deaths nationwide in June, the highest June figure since 2003. More than 90% of the victims were male, and 40 of those who died were under 30, the largest age group among the fatalities.
Separately, Germany's public health authority, the Robert Koch Institute, said last week that the country has logged at least 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year, with most recorded in June. The institute said about 4,270 of the deaths involved people aged 75 or older.
The report also cited wider concerns that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather such as heatwaves and wildfires. According to WHO figures referenced in the article, more than 1,300 people in Europe have died in heat this summer to date, while drowning deaths have shown an upward trend. In neighboring France, sports minister Marina Ferrari said that 131 people had died while swimming from 19 June onward.
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