From 800 Heat Deaths to Melted Asphalt: Germany’s Patchwork Fight Against Crushing Summer Temperatures
02.07.2026 - 14:03:57 | boerse-global.de
More than 800 heat-related deaths had already been recorded in Germany by the start of July, according to the Robert Koch Institute. In extreme years such as 2018, the toll can reach 8,500. Emergency services in major cities like Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim are reporting almost double the normal number of call-outs. The figures underscore that the country’s current approach to extreme heat – a mix of voluntary guidelines, local initiatives, and strained infrastructure – may no longer be enough.
Infrastructure is visibly buckling under the strain. On June 28, Brandenburg recorded a high of 41.7 degrees Celsius. Sections of motorway had to be closed after the asphalt broke up. In Leipzig, road surfaces softened and melted; in Nuremberg, tram services stopped altogether because bitumen filling in the tracks had become dangerously soft. The rail network in North Rhine-Westphalia was especially hard hit: National Express had to cancel roughly one-third of its RRX services, mainly because overheated compressors – essential for brakes, doors, and air-conditioning – failed. Experts point to years of underinvestment in rail and road maintenance as the root cause.
Pressure for binding rules is building. Cem Özdemir, the minister-president of Baden-Württemberg, announced on June 30 that his state would draw up a legal heat-protection action plan. The impetus: many hospitals and nursing homes in older buildings lack adequate cooling systems. The North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Nurses went further, writing to the state health ministry at the end of June to demand automatic measures kick in when temperatures hit 38 degrees, along with expanded nursing powers to allow faster decisions in heat emergencies.
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The charity Caritas called on federal and state governments on July 1 to establish a dedicated heat-protection fund. "Organisational steps like opening windows or using fans no longer suffice in extreme heat," the organisation said, adding that current investment-cost rates rarely cover structural retrofits and that lawmakers must provide money for technical upgrades.
Some employers are already acting on their own. The building-maintenance firm Zweipack, based in Allschwil, Switzerland, introduced a shorter working day at the end of June: when the mercury tops 30 degrees, the workday is cut to six hours, with staff paid for the full eight. Management calls it a matter of productivity and worker safety. The construction union GBH is demanding a blanket earlier start time on building sites to dodge the worst of the afternoon heat, and wants a heat-free rule from 32.5 degrees, citing a sharply higher accident risk during prolonged hot spells.
The importance of building fabric is highlighted by recent measurements from Baumit’s Viva research park, published on June 29. When outside temperatures exceed 36 degrees, insulated buildings maintain an indoor temperature up to 12 degrees cooler than uninsulated ones – a difference that could save lives in care homes and hospitals.
Separately, the black-red coalition government is pushing through a stricter sick-leave rule. As announced this Thursday, workers will have to provide a doctor’s certificate from the very first day of illness – scrapping the current grace period. Chancellor Merz argues that Germany’s average of 19.5 sick days per insured person in 2025 is hurting competitiveness. Critics, including physicians’ groups, warn that the requirement will swamp already-stretched GP practices, especially when heatwaves drive up illness and consultation numbers.
