VIENNA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Austria recorded more than 1,000 heat-related deaths for the first time in a single summer, with an estimated 1,008 fatalities between June and September this year, according to figures released by the country's ministry of health on Monday.
It exceeded the estimated 989 heat-related deaths recorded in the summer of 2024 which was also marked by exceptionally high temperatures.
Among all the states in Austria, Vienna reported the highest number of heat-related deaths this year, with 229 fatalities, followed by the neighboring state of Lower Austria with 223, according to the data.
Austria experienced the hottest summer this year since the measurements began, and the country's all-time temperature record was also broken.
On Aug. 4, temperatures in Vienna reached 41 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous national record of 40.5 degrees Celsius set in 2013. One day later, a new all-time high of 41.2 degrees Celsius was recorded in Lower Austria.
According to the country's Agency for Health and Food Safety, extreme heat can place significant stress on the heart, circulatory system, kidneys and lungs, potentially aggravating pre-existing health conditions.
The agency also noted that deaths tend to increase during periods of extreme heat and in the days that follow, compared with periods of moderate temperatures. ■
