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WEATHER

Heatwave to hit Germany with temperatures well above 30C

Dig out your fans... because hot days are coming to Germany.

Published: 5 August 2020 10:50 CEST
Updated: 5 August 2020 14:16 CEST
Heatwave to hit Germany with temperatures well above 30C
People cooling down at Stralsund at the Baltic Sea on Tuesday. Photo: DPA

After the changeable weather of July, the German Weather Service (DWD) says there's likely to be a longer heatwave in the coming days which could well become a historic weather event in parts of the country.

“According to our forecasts, the 30C mark will be exceeded in the Rhineland on Wednesday – and it will probably stay that way until August 13th,” DWD spokesman Andreas Friedrich told DPA.

In the Rhineland there could be nine hot days with temperatures above 30C in a row – without any cooling in between. It's even possible that the thermometer will rise to 35C.

According to the forecast, it will be similarly hot in the Rhine-Main region. For Frankfurt, the meteorologists expect six tropical weather days in a row from Saturday to the following Friday, with temperatures not dropping below 20C.

“This will be an extreme strain,” warned the DWD spokesman. He said that heat warnings were likely to occur in many places across Germany.

In Berlin for example, temperatures above 30C are forecast starting on Friday until the following Thursday.

READ ALSO: Is it ever legally too hot to go to work or school in Germany?

Danger of forest fires

The unusually long heat wave is also characterized by drought, with massive consequences for nature. “The extreme drought in the middle of Germany is threatening to worsen, the danger of forest fires is increasing even further.” Apart from a few thunder storms, no rain is expected.

The hottest day of the year so far in Germany was last Friday July 31st. In Rheinfelden in southern Baden the mercury reached 38.5C.

READ ALSO: Health warnings as Europe swelters under heatwave

And on Saturday, temperatures in southern Germany climbed to well over 30C. The warmest area was Bad Mergentheim-Neunkirchen in the northeast of Baden-Wuerttemberg with 37.1C, according to DWD meteorologist Tobias Reinartz.

In general, temperatures in the south and in the middle of Germany were above 30C.

The temperatures brought the Baltic beaches in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a record-breaking number of visitors on Saturday. Even off the coast at some of the state's lakes, the amount of visitors was so large that access had to be limited.

Last year Germany saw its hottest ever temperature since records began – 42.6C – was recorded in Lingen, Lower Saxony, on July 25th during a European-wide heatwave.

 

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WEATHER

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Severe storms and heavy rain affected parts of Germany on Thursday, creating disruptions. More rain is forecast on Friday but weather warnings have been lifted.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Major storms hit western Germany on Thursday, causing travel disruption and flooding. 

In parts of Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded and rivers swelled. Bisingen, southwest of Tübingen, was particularly hard hit, with cellars and streets plunged under water.

Police said there was also traffic disruption. In Baden-Württemberg’s state capital Stuttgart, severe storms and lightning caused issues and some roads were closed.

A lightning strike in the Sigmaringen area resulted in a broken signal box on the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, no train journeys were possible in the region in the early evening with several delays and cancellations.

Other states were also affected.

There were around 300 relief operations in the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was hit by the 2021 deadly flood disaster.

Police said no-on was injured, although basements and streets were flooded. The water levels of the Ahr were being closely monitored.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Silas Stein

In Trier, too, streets were flooded after heavy rain and there were hailstorms. The Koblenz police headquarters reported fallen trees. Significant property damage due to full cellars and flooded streets was also reported in some areas. 

Heavy showers also fell in Hesse, accompanied by thunder storms. In Frankfurt, according to the fire department, the heavy rain caused water to enter the Bethanien Hospital and even reach the intensive care unit of the clinic.

“We were able to contain the damage relatively quickly and prevent it from spreading,” said fire department spokesman Thorben Schemmel, adding that no patients were affected.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel region was particularly affected, with reports of flooded streets after heavy rain and hailstorms.

North Rhine-Westphalia also saw storms late in the afternoon on Thursday. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expected some heavy rain and hail in parts of the country on Friday – particularly in the west – and at the weekend but warnings of severe weather have been lifted. 

The DWD said there could still be one or two strong thunderstorms in the northeast on Friday. However, it will be a significantly quieter day compared to Thursday. Temperatures of up to 25C can be expected.

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