Ankara: Nearly 10,000 people in Germany died from heat-related causes by July 19, the country's public health institute said Thursday, marking the highest annual toll since records began in 2016.

According to Anadolu Agency, estimates by the Berlin-based Robert Koch Institute (RKI) indicate that about 9,800 people had died as a result of high temperatures by July 19, exceeding the total recorded in any full year since 2016. The previous highest annual figure was recorded in 2018, when the RKI estimated about 8,900 heat-related deaths.

The institute detailed that more than 5,000 of this year's deaths were linked to a heat wave in the second half of June, when temperatures reached around 40C (104F) in many parts of Germany. An estimated 7,900 heat-related deaths occurred between early April and July 12, with a further 1,900 deaths recorded during the week of July 13-19.

Of the total fatalities, 7,880 were among people aged 75 and older. The RKI noted that more women than men died from heat-related causes, largely because women make up a greater share of the older population. It was explained that heat rarely causes death directly, but often contributes to fatalities in combination with pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular, lung, and kidney diseases.

Separately, low water levels on the Rhine River are threatening inland shipping as prolonged heat continues across Europe, according to German media reports. Public broadcaster SWR reported that water levels at the Kaub gauge on the Middle Rhine were approaching the record low set in 2018, when the gauge measured 25 centimeters. The Rhineland-Palatinate Flood Forecasting Center stated that water levels on Thursday were only a few centimeters above the previous record and were expected to continue falling through Friday. Although cargo shipping continues because the river is deeper within the navigation channel, inland shipping operators have been forced to reduce cargo loads because of the low water levels.