Europe’s heatwaves threaten to push food prices higher in 2027

Germany recorded an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year, most of them during the late-June heatwave that paralyzed much of Europe for more than a week, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country's national public health agency. The figure underscores the growing lethality of extreme heat events across the continent, where more than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded during the same period.dw+2

A Deadly June Across Europe

Preliminary data from Germany's Federal Statistical Office showed 5,486 more deaths in the last full week of June than the 2022–2025 median. The RKI attributed the bulk of this year's fatalities to the late-June heat dome, when weekly average temperatures far exceeded 20 degrees Celsius. The vast majority of victims were elderly, with around 4,270 aged 75 or older.latimes+2

The toll extended well beyond Germany. According to Reuters, European countries collectively reported more than 10,000 excess deaths during the late-June heatwave, with more than 9,000 among people aged 65 and above, based on data from EuroMOMO, a mortality-monitoring network backed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization. Spain recorded over 1,000 heat-related deaths, more than double the figure from June 2025, while France reported 1,000 excess deaths. Italy is currently experiencing a third wave of extreme heat, with 16 cities on the highest "red alert" level on July 17.reuters+3

Europe Warming Faster Than Anywhere Else

The crisis reflects a broader trend identified by the World Meteorological Organization, which in April named Europe the fastest-warming continent on Earth. The continent is heating at roughly twice the global average. A World Weather Attribution study released in June found that fossil fuel emissions have "rapidly worsened" European heatwaves in just a few decades.aljazeera+1

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called extreme heat a "silent killer" in late June as the initial death toll mounted.bbc+1

Heatwave Threatens Food Prices in 2027

Beyond the human cost, economists warn the extreme summer could hit household budgets. Oxford Economics expects eurozone food inflation to rise to around 3% in 2027, up from 1.6% in June 2026, as crop damage works through supply chains. "We think this summer's heatwaves will be a stronger upward driver of food prices next year than the war," said Tomas Dvorak, senior economist at Oxford Economics, referring to the earlier Israel-Iran conflict. The firm estimates weather effects alone could add up to one percentage point to food inflation next year, with the impact most acute in the first half of 2027.euronews+1