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WEATHER

Heatwave in Germany: Temperatures up to 38C expected at the weekend

Plenty of sunshine and temperatures stretching far above the 30C mark: summer in Germany is making a shining appearance at the weekend.

Published: 7 August 2020 10:01 CEST
Updated: 7 August 2020 13:35 CEST
Heatwave in Germany: Temperatures up to 38C expected at the weekend
The sun was already shining strongly at this meadow in Hamburg on Friday morning. Photo: DPA

On Friday, the mercury in many parts of the country was set to climb to between 30 and 36C, the German Weather Service (DWD) announced in the morning.

Only south of the Danube river and on the coasts, the Hitze (heat) will not be quite as strong, with temperatures of 27 to 30 degrees expected.

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

The sunny weather will stretch into the weekend, with only low mountain ranges expecting short rain showers.

On Saturday, temperatures are slated to reach between 30 and 37C, with a slightly cooler outlook on Germany’s islands in the north, and in the mountains in Bavaria and the south. Those in the east and northeast parts of the country will receive a bit of relief with windier weather. 

On Sunday, temperatures around the country are predicted to range between 30-36C. In the west and southwest, they are set to stretch as high as 38C in the west, particularly in areas along the Rhine River.

Stormy weather is possible in the morning in the eastern parts of the country, as well as in the lower mountain ranges and Alps. 

In Berlin, where all swimming pools had already sold out by Thursday, temperatures were expected to reach 36C on Saturday and 32C on Sunday. Munich was set to be much cooler, with temperatures of 29C on both Saturday and Sunday.

The western parts of the country were to be hit particularly hard: Cologne was slated to see temperatures of 37C on both Saturday and Sunday. In Frankfurt the Mercury would rise to 36C on both weekend days.

A sunflower in Berlin's Tiergarten being watered on Friday morning. Photo: DPA

DWD tweeted in their latest weather report that the “heat is coming and staying.”

Summer travellers

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn is preparing for more passengers over the warm weekend, as summer holidays were coming to a close for several states on Friday.

The state-owned company on Friday said it was working to prevent problems with air conditioning systems in long-distance trains – especially during heat spells and in the middle of the coronavirus crisis.

READ ALSO: Is it safe to go swimming in Germany this summer?

The number of ICE 4 trains with “particularly powerful air-conditioning systems” has now doubled to 49 compared to the summer of 2019. 

“The new double-decker IC trains also have air-conditioning systems designed for outside temperatures of over 40C,” a spokesman said.

Member comments

  1. Well, at least you guys have low humidity so the heat is a bit more tolerable, unlike in Texas where we not only have triple-digit temperatures to contend with, but on average 90%+ humidity too, which makes the heat that much more worse. This is a great time to get out and plant something though.

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FLOODS

German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

Water levels on the Elbe and Oder rivers in Germany are rising, sparking preparations for floods as the clean-up across central Europe gets underway.

Published: 19 September 2024 10:12 CEST
German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

As several countries in Europe face the devastating aftermath of severe flooding following torrential rain, communities in some regions of Germany are trying to manage rising water levels. 

According to a forecast by the state flood centre, the water on the Elbe river has not yet reached expected peaks. In the city of Dresden, the Elbe rose above the six-metre mark on Wednesday. There, as well as in Schöna on the border with the Czech Republic, the flood peak is expected on Thursday.

There is a cautious all-clear along other rivers in the east and south of Germany. Further north, however, Brandenburg is looking anxiously at the Oder river, which is expected to bring more water in the coming days.

READ ALSO: Parts of Germany hit by flooding as torrential rain wreaks havoc across central Europe

Flood crisis teams are due to meet in Frankfurt (Oder), located at the border with Poland, and other municipalities in Brandenburg on Thursday. A level 1 flood alert was issued for sections of the river on Wednesday.

According to the State Office for the Environment, floodplains and meadows close to the banks are expected to start flooding, with the areas of the Oder village of Ratzdorf to Eisenhüttenstadt particularly affected.

The state office believes the highest alert level – level 4 – with a water level of around six metres will be reached in the next few days near Ratzdorf, where the Oder reaches Brandenburg territory.

Clean-up work underway in central and eastern Europe

In the flood-hit areas from Poland to the Czech Republic and Austria, the clean-up work has now begun, but the situation is only slowly easing.

In many places, the emergency services are still struggling with masses of water. Soldiers are also providing support in Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the authorities are not yet giving the all-clear. So far, more than 20 people have tragically lost their lives in the region due to the extreme weather.

In the Polish city of Wroclaw in the west of the country, the flood wave was not expected until Thursday night. As several tributaries that also carry a lot of water flow into the Oder between Olawa and Wroclaw, the possibility of flooding in the Lower Silesian metropolis cannot be ruled out, said an expert.

Flooding in Bresgau Poland

A drone captures the high water levels in Bresgau, Poland, on September 19th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/PAP | Maciej Kulczynski

Flood defences in Wroclaw have been reinforced as a precautionary measure. One third of the city of 630,000 inhabitants was flooded during the Oder flood in 1997.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Poland on Thursday afternoon. According to the EU Commission, the trip is being organised at the invitation of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are also expected to attend the meeting.

The talks are likely to focus on the question of funds from Brussels for reconstruction although the extent of the damage is still unclear.

With reporting from DPA

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