Heatwave in Germany: 41 Degrees on Sunday, Forest Fire Danger and Multiple Deaths from Swimming Accidents

New heat records were also measured in neighboring countries. In the Czech Republic, the Doksany weather station north of Prague initially recorded 40.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, later corrected to 40.8 degrees. The previous Czech record had been 40.4 degrees. In Switzerland, Basel registered 38.8 degrees as a new high. In Denmark, the weather service measured 37 degrees in Ødum north of Aarhus — the highest temperature since records began in 1874.

The ongoing drought creates a high forest fire danger in almost all rural districts on Sunday. In the districts of Dahme-Spreewald, Elbe-Elster, Märkisch-Oderland, Spree-Neiße with Cottbus, and Teltow-Fläming, there is even a very high danger, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection. Only in Prignitz is the danger rated as moderate. Within Berlin as well, the forest fire danger ranges from moderate to very high depending on the district, according to the DWD's forest fire danger index.

Forest Fire Danger in Berlin and Brandenburg

The heat has claimed several lives in recent days. Since Friday, at least five people have died in swimming accidents in Germany. On Friday, a visitor pulled a 45-year-old man from the water in Seepark Lünen near Dortmund; the man later died in the hospital, according to police. On Saturday, a 27-year-old drowned in the Neckar near Heidelberg, and a 30-year-old died in a bathing lake near Neuhofen south of Mannheim. In Hesse, a 40-year-old man was also recovered dead from the Waldsee Raunheim southwest of Frankfurt. The previous weekend, two swimming accidents had already occurred near Biblis, in which three men died.

Multiple Deaths from Swimming Accidents

In a senior citizens' home in Dormagen, several residents had to receive medical treatment after being removed from an overheated building with temperatures above 35 degrees. The Leipzig transport authority (LVB) suspended tram service due to heat damage to tracks and switches until Monday morning at 3:30 a.m.

Political Demands and Energy Shortages

The heatwave is also affecting the energy supply. In Hungary, the energy company MVM reduced the output of a reactor at the Paks nuclear power plant by 243 megawatts because the cooling water of the Danube had reached 29.7 degrees Celsius, exceeding the limit of 29.5 degrees. Hungarian Energy Minister Istvan Kapitany stated that households would not feel the reduced output and called on the population to reduce electricity consumption in the evening.

In the political debate, the Greens faction chairwoman Katharina Dröge demanded an emergency cooling program. "Germany needs an immediate cooling program to air-condition hospitals, care facilities, daycare centers, and schools," Dröge stated. She also proposed a new funding program for combined air-conditioning and solar systems: "We are proposing a new funding program for 'Klima-Solar-Anlagen'." The high solar radiation during the heatwave would offer ideal conditions for such systems.

The peak of the heat on Sunday will be accompanied by thunderstorms. Heat thunderstorms will develop locally during the day and overnight into Monday. Locally, there may be heavy rain, hail, and severe storm gusts. ZDF meteorologist Christa Orben warned: „Es ist eine extreme Luftmasse und das bedeutet, die hat auch ein heftiges Potenzial, also die stellt sehr viel Energie zur Verfügung und die Gewitter nutzen diese Energie für sich aus. Das heißt, wenn sich jetzt Gewitter bilden, dann sind das Unwetter und da kann es schwere Sturmböhen bis Orkanböhen geben - also Bäume, die umstürzen. Es gibt heftigen Starkregen bis zu 50 Liter pro Quadratmeter in kurzer Zeit, das kann zu Überschwemmungen führen und auch großkörniger Hagel ist dabei."

Weather Outlook: Cooling from Monday

On the night leading into Monday, temperatures will already cool down to lows of 23 to 19 degrees. On Monday, temperatures will drop significantly compared to the previous hot days: maximums of 27 to 31 degrees are expected. There will also be intermittent rain and localized thunderstorms. On the night leading into Tuesday, there will be occasional rain with minimums of 19 to 14 degrees. On Tuesday, it will be partly cloudy and mostly dry with highs of only 26 to 29 degrees.

Water consumption in Germany also reached peak values. On Wednesday, Hamburg Wasser recorded 412.20 million liters — the highest daily consumption of the year. A spokesperson for Hamburg Wasser stated: "Die jetzigen Verbräuche sind - noch - im Bereich der saisonal zu erwartenden Schwankungen." June peaks are typical: "Im Juni sind sie bei solchem Wetter quasi vorprogrammiert, weil noch nirgendwo Sommerferien sind."

The Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt am Main will be held on Sunday (starting at 6:20 a.m.) with about 70 professional triathletes over shortened distances. Due to the heat, the cycling course has been shortened from 180 to 125 kilometers and the run from a full marathon to a half marathon (21.1 kilometers) with the finish at the Römerberg. The 3.8-kilometer swim in the Langener Waldsee remains unchanged.

In Great Britain, travelers are increasingly searching for air-conditioned hotels: search queries on Booking.com for British hotels with air conditioning have tripled since June 1. Data from the payment service provider Adyen also showed that revenues in the British hotel industry rose by 34 percent between June 22 and 25 compared to the previous year, which is attributed to the heatwave.

The Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology generally advises against swimming in rivers. The authority pointed to dangerous currents, shipping, and contamination by fecal bacteria. Even though temperatures are expected to drop significantly from Monday, experts continue to warn of the consequences of extreme heat exposure.