Wetter
Germany in the heat wave – thunderstorms possible locally
Looking to cool down: After jumping from the 5-meter tower, a boy dives into the water in summer temperatures in Berlin’s Olympiabad. Photo: Joerg Carstensen/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
First Spain, then France and now Germany: A heat wave is spreading across parts of Europe. Up to 38 degrees are expected in this country at the weekend. That also harbors dangers.
Sun, heat and occasional thunderstorms: Shortly before the start of the calendar summer, very hot days are imminent in Germany. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), temperatures of up to 38 degrees are possible locally in the southwest on Saturday and Sunday.
The reason for the heat wave is therefore a high pressure area that moves east across the country on Saturday. As a result, hot air from south-west Europe reaches us, which spreads across large parts of Germany, as the weather service announced. In the affected areas, warnings are given of severe heat stress. Saturday is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far in some places.
cooler in the north
In the north, on the other hand, it stays a little cooler. Here, the DWD expects temperatures between 19 and 23 degrees. However, thunderstorms and squalls can occur across the country. In the night to Sunday, these can even get a little heavier in the north. The DWD expects some heavy showers or thunderstorms at up to twelve degrees on the North Sea. In some large cities on the Rhine, temperatures drop to as low as 22 degrees.
Temperatures between 27 and 37 degrees are expected in the southwest and center of Germany on Sunday. In the north and northwest, the DWD expects maximum values of 17 to 24 degrees. There may be some rain here in some areas. In the middle of the country, as well as in the west, south-west and on the Alps, it will remain sunny during the day. In the evening strong thunderstorms are expected.
Drought increases the risk of forest fires
But while many are likely to spend the sunny weekend in the outdoor pool or at the lake, the high temperatures are a concern for others. The heat coupled with a long-lasting drought in many places is increasing the risk of forest fires. An area of around 6.5 hectares burned on the Brocken in the Upper Harz – this corresponds to the size of around nine football pitches. According to the fire brigade, the fire was under control, but it threatens to flare up again and again due to the drought and high ground temperatures. The second highest forest fire warning level has been in effect in the Harz district since Friday.
Brandenburg reports the highest danger level for forest fires. There is a smoking and fire ban in the forest. Nevertheless: Already on Friday morning there was a fire in the municipality of Märkische Heide. The extent of the fire was still unclear. A forest fire also broke out in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district. The fire had spread to more than 20 hectares. A large cloud of smoke could be seen as far south as Brandenburg. The use of the firefighters could be difficult because it is also an area in the suspected explosive ordnance area. A total of over 200 fires have been registered since the beginning of the forest fire season. The season in Brandenburg runs from March to the end of September.
Wildfires have also been reported elsewhere. In Upper Franconia, for example, a forest area of around 5,000 square meters burned. According to a statement on Friday, the police suspect that strangers had made a campfire and not properly extinguished it.
In Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, for example, some cities and districts have issued a ban on water withdrawal from next week. In Baden-Württemberg, this ban already applies locally. Accordingly, all water withdrawals from surface waters such as lakes or rivers that are not expressly permitted are to be declared inadmissible. The reason: the prolonged drought has caused the water levels to drop unusually sharply in many places.
Dangers for the elderly and children
But you should also pay attention to your own health at these high temperatures. Lower Saxony’s Health Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) sees dangers in particular for older people and children. For example, they often do not notice a lack of fluids in time, explained the minister. A heat wave also increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. What helps according to experts: drink a lot, avoid direct sun, no sporting activities in the greatest heat.
The climate director of the DWD, Tobias Fuchs, warned that in the next few years it could be up to one degree warmer in Germany than in the past three decades. According to Fuchs, climate change will continue to have a significant impact on Germany in the coming years. According to the DWD, the trend towards rising average temperatures is already evident this summer. A temperature increase of up to one degree compared to the long-term average of 17.6 degrees from 1991 to 2020 is forecast for all regions of Germany.
“Unfortunately a foretaste of the future”
An observation that also coincides with the predictions of the United Nations. These predict that heat waves will occur more frequently in the future as unusually early and intensely as they did this week in Europe. “Unfortunately, what we are experiencing today is a foretaste of the future,” said Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the World Weather Organization (WMO), referring to climate change. The extremely high temperatures that have spread from North Africa across southern Europe and are expected in Switzerland and Germany this weekend are more typical of July or August, according to the WMO.
In some parts of Spain and France, thermometers have climbed more than ten degrees above the mean for this time of year, Nullis reported. Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Serbia are affected by drought. Outside of Europe, heat warnings were issued to almost a third of the population in the United States in the middle of this week.
The astronomical – or calendar – start of summer is next Tuesday (June 21). Then the sun reaches its northernmost point above the earth and at noon it reaches its highest point of the year.