Belgium recorded 2,935 excess deaths during a succession of heatwaves between June and August, as extreme temperatures pushed the country through its hottest summer on record, according to the national public health institute, Sciensano.
The latest data highlights the deadly impact of prolonged heat, particularly on vulnerable populations, with mortality rising sharply during periods of sustained high temperatures.
The third heatwave, which lasted from July 28 to August 16, resulted in 365 excess deaths, seven percent above the expected level. The period also coincided with the outbreak of Belgium’s worst wildfire in modern history.
Earlier heatwaves had already taken a heavier toll. Between June 18 and July 3, the country recorded 2,035 excess deaths, with mortality 49 percent above the expected level. Another 535 excess deaths were recorded between July 4 and 17.
The cumulative figure comes shortly after Belgium’s national weather agency confirmed that summer 2026 was the hottest on record, making the country the latest in Europe to experience unprecedented temperatures this year.
At the official reference weather station in Uccle, near Brussels, the average temperature for the summer reached 20.3 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees above the average recorded in recent decades, according to the Royal Meteorological Institute.
The figures underscore the growing human cost of extreme heat, as increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves continue to challenge countries across Europe.
