Germany Records New National High as Europe Heatwave Pushes Temperatures Above 40C

A record-breaking heatwave sweeping across Western Europe pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and moved east into Germany and Poland, with Germany recording a new national high of 41.5C (106.7F) on Saturday at the Drewitz station in eastern Germany.

“A record-breaking heatwave sweeping across Western Europe has been linked to dozens of deaths, with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) pushing east into Germany and Poland”

Al Jazeera

The reading broke the previous record of 41.3C (106.3F) set just a day earlier in Saarbrucken in the southwest, and the German weather service issued extreme heat warnings for nearly all of Germany on Saturday as authorities urged people to save water.

Al Jazeera

In the Czech Republic, a reading of 40.6C (105F) recorded at a weather station in Doksany north of Prague beat a previous record of 40.4C (104.7F) set in 2012 in Dobrichovice, southwest of Prague, while Denmark recorded its hottest day on record at 37C (98.6F) on Saturday measured at Odum north of Aarhus.

The heatwave also drove operational changes, with the Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon in Frankfurt shortening the cycling and running segments due to the heat, and German rail operator Deutsche Bahn giving customers the option to cancel long-distance travel bookings until early next week without charge due to the heatwave.

The deadly impact of the heatwave was described by CNN as France enduring its hottest day since records began on Tuesday, while the French Prime Minister announced that at least 40 people have drowned seeking relief from the heat since June 18.

CNN also reported that the UK Met Office issued exceptionally rare “Red Extreme Heat Warnings” for today and tomorrow, with temperatures forecast to soar to up to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 Celsius), as the UK broke its record for hottest June temperature for the third time in a day.

BBC

In France, The Guardian said public prosecutors linked the heat to the death of a three-year-old boy after he became trapped in his family’s car in the suburbs of Paris, and the mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, said there had been an “increase in mortality” in the capital.

The Guardian further reported that Stéphanie Rist’s office said 25 cardiac arrests were recorded over 24 hours in Paris on Wednesday, compared with an average of fewer than 10, and that across the country there had been a fourfold increase in emergency room visits for heat-related reasons.

As the heatwave’s peak approached, Al Jazeera quoted meteorologist Karsten Brandt of Donnerwetter.de saying, “The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend, well over 40C (104F) in some parts of Germany,” while heavy thunderstorms were expected on Sunday as the most extreme heat forecast to begin fading over the weekend.

“- Published Over the last two months the UK has experienced two heatwaves, which have shattered significant, long-standing temperature records”

BBC

The BBC framed the broader outlook by saying forecasters suggest “an increased chance of heatwaves and heat-related impacts” through the end of August, with “above-average temperatures” expected for each month of July and August.

In the UK, the BBC reported that for only the second time since their inception in 2021, a red extreme heat warning was issued by the Met Office this week across south-east Wales and southern England, with schools closed and the transport network strained as people tried to deal with the extreme heat.

BBC Weather also cited Met Office scientists saying the chance of exceeding 40C is accelerating at pace, and it included Imperial College London researcher Dr Theodore Keeping saying the link between climate change and worsening heatwaves is “settled,” adding that “Continued fossil-fuel emissions are directly responsible for the disruption people are experiencing this week in their homes, schools and workplaces.”