After heat wave with 38 degrees, severe weather and thunderstorms are announced for Germany

Warnings and preparations

In Saxony and Thuringia, emergency call centers prepared for an increased number of operations. Following earlier severe weather events in southern Germany, for example in Karlsruhe, response teams were deployed due to, among other things, fallen trees. In Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg, authorities issued precautionary warnings for local public transport.

At the same time, experts pointed to the unusual accumulation of extreme weather events this summer. The EU climate change service Copernicus had classified June as the hottest June in Western Europe since the start of comprehensive measurements. In several cities, including those in central Germany, there had already been an unusually high number of so-called tropical nights this year, during which the thermometer did not drop below 20 degrees.

Background: A summer between heat and severe weather

The German Weather Service emphasized that the exact path of the thunderstorm cells can only be predicted at short notice. A first wave is expected to reach the west and center of the country in the late morning, with a second, potentially more intense wave affecting the east and south in the afternoon and evening. Severe thunderstorms are also expected in Berlin and the neighboring Brandenburg.

According to experts, the weather change could bring noticeable cooling in the short term, although the heat stress will overall remain high in the coming days. Due to the ongoing drought in some regions, the risk of forest fires will also continue to rise.

Advice for the public

Residents were asked to activate warning apps and follow the advice of local authorities. Michaela Koschak had pointed out in earlier contributions the increasing intensity of such heat waves in Central Europe. Weather services and relief organizations called on people to keep an eye on elderly people and neighbors during the heat phase and over the course of the severe weather.

Air travel in some regions may also be affected. In the past, severe weather — for example in Nuremberg — had already led to temporary operational stoppages. Travelers were urged to check with the relevant airlines and airports before departure.