An average of almost 1,500 people per year were treated in Germany’s hospitals due to heat and intense sun exposure between 2002 and 2022. “Extreme heat is now a problem for the health of the population here in Germany,” the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced on Monday. The number of deaths directly caused by heat averaged 20 cases per year in the study period. However, very high temperatures also lead to an overall increase in mortality, as they have an indirect effect in many cases. The combination of extreme summer temperatures and pre-existing illnesses significantly increas…