The German state of Brandenburg was dubbed the “hotspot of Europe” by forecasters after temperatures of 36C were recorded there on Wednesday, the hottest day of the year so far, reported Spiegel.

But as well as stifling heat, unpredictable storms have been hitting parts of the country, including a tornado with winds of up to 235m/h in North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to forecasts by the German Weather Service (DWD), temperatures were thought to have reached between 29 to 36C throughout the country on Wednesday, the peak of the heatwave.

However, on Thursday, fresh thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain were expected and temperatures should drop as a cooler front moves in. Torrential rain and storms were due to hit Berlin and Brandenburg in the afternoon.

It comes after a severe storm and tornado caused a huge amount of damage in Bocholt, Münsterland.

READ ALSO: Tornado rips through western German city

The tornado ripped roofs from houses, overturned cars and uprooted more than 100 trees on Tuesday night.

There were also thunder storms in other parts of Germany, including Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, on Wednesday night.

The German Weather Service (DWD) has not ruled out the possibility of more extreme winds.

A lightning strike in Lower Saxony earlier this week. Photo: DPA

'Brandenburg is hotspot'

The DWD issued a heat warning for parts of Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony on Wednesday.

Peter Zedler of the DWD warned of the dangers of forest fires due to the extreme temperatures. Firefighters have been tackling wild fires across these regions during the heatwave.

READ ALSO: Heavy storms hit western Germany after heatwave

“Brandenburg is the hotspot of Europe,” Andreas Friedrich of the DWD added, signalling that the area was hotter than many other places across the continent.

With temperatures of up to 34C, Wednesday also become the hottest day of the year to date in Hesse, according to the DWD.

But the cold front coming up from the southwest will provide some relief – and much needed rainfall to areas where forest fires have been raging. Temperatures of around 20C are expected during the storms.

Looking ahead to the the holiday weekend, pleasant summer weather is likely in Germany, with sunshine, clouds and temperatures of around 25C. It will remain dry on the whole, but there is a chance of some showers.