Swiss Re CEO Says Heatwave Threat Underestimated as Germany Eases Trucking Rules
Swiss Re's CEO says heatwave risks were underestimated. Germany eases trucking curbs as low Rhine water levels disrupt shipping.
The chief executive of reinsurer Swiss Re has said authorities underestimated the threat that heatwaves pose to human life, as parts of Germany moved to ease trucking restrictions to relieve pressure on supply chains.
Andreas Berger, speaking to a Swiss newspaper after the company posted a 9% rise in first-half net profit, said awareness of the dangers from extreme heat needed to be raised. He added that it was too early to determine how excess mortality linked to the heat would affect the company's financial results.
Europe, the fastest-warming continent, has recorded thousands of excess deaths during the recent record-breaking heatwave, with the elderly most affected. France and Spain have experienced particularly severe temperatures in recent weeks.
In Germany, low water levels on major rivers have hampered shipping, prompting several states to temporarily suspend restrictions on truck traffic. North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland relaxed Sunday and holiday trucking bans to ease transport bottlenecks.
"Low water levels are putting a strain on supply chains," said Markus Wolf, Rhineland-Palatinate's state secretary for transport. "That's why we're taking action and creating additional transport options by road at short notice."
The eased restrictions will apply until the end of August and may remain in place in some states through September.
The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's public health agency, has estimated that about 11,900 heat-related deaths occurred in the country by late July, mostly due to extreme temperatures in late June.