In the Netherlands, between 1,400 and 2,200 deaths in the summer of 2003 may have been heat-related. The fact that maximum temperatures were lower than in some other European countries and occurred in less densely populated areas may have resulted in mortality figures that were relatively less severe. The temporary increase in death rates is only partly due to a shift in mortality patterns. Heat-related mortality was most pronounced among the elderly in nursing homes. (R.A.)