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WEATHER

Germany orders drivers to slow down on Autobahns over fears roads will ‘blow up’ in heat

With temperatures up to 40C forecast, officials have placed speed limits on sections of Germany's famous Autobahn network over concerns the road could buckle in the heat.

Published: 25 June 2019 11:47 CEST
Germany orders drivers to slow down on Autobahns over fears roads will 'blow up' in heat
A heat damaged section of the A5 in Heidelberg in 2015. Photo: DPA
The heatwave hitting Germany is not only causing problems for people – it is impacting roads too.
 
Experts fear sections of the highway could buckle in the heat, increasing the risk of accidents. That's why authorities have imposed speed limits on parts of the country's Autobahn, which is famous for having sections with no speed limit.
 
The damage – dubbed “blow-ups” by the German press – on the highways occur when extreme heat causes surfaces to buckle and rip. It can happen in older portions of the road network built with concrete. 
 
 
Several sections of the A9 and A38 in the south of eastern German state Saxony-Anhalt are subject to speed limits until further notice, according to the head of the state road construction authority, Uwe Langkammer.
 
These are precautionary measures to keep motorists safer in the event that the roads become damaged without warning. 
 
The A9 between the Schkeuditzer Kreuz and Halle is affected. A limit of 120 km/h has been put in place there.
 
A limit of 100 km/h has been set for the A9 towards Munich between Naumburg and Droyßig as well as around Weißenfels.
 
On the A38, motorists have to drive slower in both directions between Merseburg-Süd and Merseburg-Nord as well as towards Leipzig between Lützen and the border to Saxony.
 
More speed limits or measures could be set if the extreme heat continues. 
 
 
Extreme heat causes accidents
 
In June 2013 extreme heat triggered buckling in the country's Autobahn, and in one location in Bavaria a rip in the highway surface resulted in the death of a motorcyclist and injuries to several other motorists, reported Spiegel. Temperatures in the area had reached 34C.
 
Meanwhile, in the summer of 2015, heat caused a section of the A9 near Bad Dürrenberg in Saxony-Anhalt to become badly damaged. The section was closed for weeks as repairs got underway. 

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WEATHER

‘Turbo spring’: Germany to see temperatures above 25C

Germany is set for a blast of warm weather in the coming week as the colder spell eases off.

Published: 26 April 2024 16:56 CEST
'Turbo spring': Germany to see temperatures above 25C

“The late winter weather of the past few days with frost and snow is a thing of the past for the time being, and spring will kick into turbo gear over the next few days,” said meteorologist Adrian Leyser from the German Weather Service (DWD) on Friday.

Temperatures are expected to rise sharply over the weekend with plenty of sunshine, forecasters said. In Germany anything above 25C is classed as a summer day. “The summer mark of 25C will be cracked regionally as early as Sunday,” said Leyser.

It comes as snow and hail hit Germany last week, and temperatures fell below freezing in some places.

But showers and thunderstorms are still possible in the west and north of Germany. Maximum temperatures there are expected to reach around 20C. 

According to the DWD, spring will get a little damper on Monday, with a few rain spells.  “However, the next low pressure system over Western Europe is preparing to turn on the warm air jet again from Tuesday,” said the meteorologist.

On Wednesday – which is a public holiday across Germany for International Workers’ Day – temperatures could soar nearer 30C. 

“In the south and east, we are even approaching the 30C mark,” said Leyser. However, the weather will remain “susceptible to disruption”, said Leyser, especially in the west where there is a risk of isolated and sometimes severe thunderstorms.

READ ALSO: What to do on May 1st in Germany

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