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WEATHER

Scorching summer weekend on its way

After a week of somewhat wild weather, the weekend will be really hot again, prompting warnings to be careful when out in the sun or when cooling down in water.

Published: 1 August 2013 14:55 CEST
Scorching summer weekend on its way
Photo: DPA

Hundreds of black-clad rockers were treated for heat exhaustion on the first day of the Wacken heavy metal festival in northern Germany on Thursday, the Hamburg-based Abendblatt newspaper reported.

And emergency services are repeating warnings to swimmers to be careful after nine people died in Bavaria just last weekend. Last year 383 people died in Germany’s lakes and along the coast.

Hail the size of ping pong balls caused serious damage in the south west of the country earlier in the week – and as rising temperatures again increase the risk of storm, hail planes are on standby in Baden-Württemberg to fly into clouds. When up there, they spray a chemical which makes the ice chunks smaller, a spokesman from the Rems-Murr regional government said on Thursday.

Daytime temperatures of 24C in the north east and up to around 35C in the west during Thursday will not drop much as evening arrives, the German Weather Service (DWD) said, with top night time temperatures of between 21C and 14C.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast

On Friday, temperatures will rise to between 30C in the north east and 37C in the west. The absence of anything more than a light breeze will make the day feel particularly sticky.

By Saturday the north west will be hit with bad weather, with a strong chance of thunder and heavy, sporadic showers. This should ease by the afternoon though and the rest of the country should stay sunny.

Highs in the west and north west will stick between 24C and 30C while in the east and south it will be warmer – between 30C and 37C. As always, it will be a little cooler along the coastline.

Saturday night will be cloudy for those in the north west, but generally dry. Showers will head to give the east and south east a soaking, along with the occasional lightning bolt. Temperatures will stick at between 20C and 13C.

Sunday will be dry for most of the country. In some areas of the east and south it may be a little cloudy but everywhere else will once again see temperatures into the 30s. A gentle wind will offer only little relief from the heat.

The Local/jcw

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BERLIN

Warning of toxic smoke after fire breaks out at Berlin factory

More than 180 firefighters wearing protective suits were on Friday tackling a major blaze at a metal technology firm in Berlin's Lichterfelde area as authorities warned of toxic smoke.

Published: 3 May 2024 16:35 CEST
Updated: 3 May 2024 18:08 CEST
Warning of toxic smoke after fire breaks out at Berlin factory

The blaze broke out in the first floor of metal technology factory ‘Diehl Metal Applications’ on the Stichkanal in Lichterfelde, south-west Berlin around 10:30 am.

On Friday afternoon, a fire brigade spokesperson said an area of over 2,000 square metres was on fire in the four-storey building.

As of 5 pm, the fire was reportedly still not under control.

According to the spokesman, the fire had spread to the roof, with parts of the building collapsing.

As the company also stores and processes chemicals in various quantities, there are concerns over harmful fumes in the smoke. 

“We can confirm that chemicals are also burning in the building,” said the fire service. “Sulphuric acid and copper cyanide were stored there. There is a risk of hydrogen cyanide forming and rising into the air with the smoke.”

Hydrogen cyanide is a highly toxic substance.

The Berlin state government said that residents “in the affected areas of the toxic fumes caused by the fire” were warned through the NINA warning app at midday.

People walk in the area near the fire in Berlin on Friday. Residents have been urged to stay inside and keep their windows closed.

People walk in the area near the fire in Berlin on Friday. Residents have been urged to stay inside and keep their windows closed. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

The Berlin fire department also said on X that people in a large area of Berlin and the outskirts, shown on the map in this tweet, should keep their windows and doors closed, turn off air conditioning and avoid smoky areas. People have also been asked to avoid the area. It includes a large part of the Grunewald forest. 

In the immediate vicinity, hazardous substances had been measured. According to a fire and rescue spokesperson, no injuries have been reported. 

A spokesman for Diehl Metall, to which the plant belongs, said on request that the chemicals mentioned were also only kept in small quantities at the plant.

According to the Diehl spokesman, the location is used for electroplating parts for the automotive industry. The Diehl Group is a large arms company; however, no armaments were produced at the Berlin plant, Nitz said.

Emergency response authorities requested the help of the in-house fire brigade from the firm Bayer, which is familiar with fighting against chemical fires, Berlin newspaper Tagesspeigel reported. 

Which areas are most affected?

Pupils and teachers from nearby schools have been sent home as a precaution, while several shops around the site have closed. 

On Friday afternoon, a warning message popped up on many mobile phones with a shrill sound, according to which there is “extreme danger”.

“After evaluating the weather conditions and the corresponding wind direction, the flue gases move from the scene of the incident in a northerly direction,” the fire department told the German Press Agency (DPA).

Flames seen at the fire in Berlin's Lichterfelde on Friday.

Flames seen at the fire in Berlin’s Lichterfelde on Friday. Shops around the area closed. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

According to the fire department spokesman, however, it was not initially clear at what distance the smoke could still be hazardous to health.

Parents of students at the Fichtenberg-Gymnasium in Steglitz received an e-mail stating that classes had been stopped and all students had been sent home. However, the local Abitur or end of school leaving exams continued with the windows closed.

Surrounding roads were closed while flames leapt into the sky, according to a DPA reporter on site.

A neighbouring supermarket was completely enveloped in white smoke. The surrounding area is a mixture of commercial area, allotments, housing estates and shopping centre. According to eyewitnesses, the smoke appeared to be heading north.

The fire department published a map on which the affected areas are marked. Parts of Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Reinickendorf, among others, can be seen. People should avoid the affected area and drive around it as much as possible, the fire department suggested. Even if no smoke is visible, windows and doors should remain closed and ventilation and air conditioning systems should be switched off, it said.

In the immediate vicinity of the fire, the police made announcements with a megaphone and called on people to leave the streets, go home and keep windows closed.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. 

With reporting by DPA, Paul Krantz and Rachel Loxton.

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