Germany to see temperatures up to 29C as spring heat spell continues
After record setting temperatures in Germany over the weekend, it is set to be warm again on Monday in much of the country. How is the country adapting to continually hotter than usual weather?
With Germans strutting around in shorts and sandals, it felt more like summer than spring over the weekend.
According to preliminary data from the German Weather Service (DWR), with a high temperature of 30.1C recorded in Ohlsbach in the Rhine Valley on Saturday, the Bundesrepublik has never before seen such high temperatures this early in the spring season since regular weather recording began in Germany.
Up to 29C at the start of the week
If you unpacked some summer clothes for the weekend, there’s no need to pack them away now. On Monday it will be warm again - in some places downright hot.
Temperatures of 24 to 29C and plenty of sun are expected in large parts of the country, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
However, those living in the northwest may want to keep an extra layer or even a raincoat on hand, as that region is expected to experience slightly lower temperatures of 16 to 23C and lots of cloud cover. Rain showers are also possible there during the day, with strong thunderstorms foreseeable in the evening.
The DWD expects light to moderate winds on Monday, with gale force winds only expected on Alpine peaks.
More heatwaves to come
In Germany, weather with temperatures above 30C is considered a heat wave. As weather patterns warm around the world due to human induced climate change, heat waves are becoming more common in Germany each year.
Heat records have been broken again and again for years. The hottest year in Germany since weather records began was 2023, replacing 2022 as the previous record holder. It looks likely that 2024 will break the record again.
READ ALSO: More floods, droughts and heatwaves: How climate change will impact Germany
Heat waves cause significant issues for infants, young children, people aged 65 and over, and people with pre-existing conditions. These vulnerable groups are more likely to experience dehydration, circulatory problems, sleep disorders or heat stroke during a heat wave.
The heat can even be fatal: according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there were around 3,200 heat-related deaths in the summer of 2023.
How prepared are German cities for heat waves
Germany Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced last June that he wanted to introduce several measures against heat hazards. As a result, a November meeting with government and civil society representatives analysed existing concepts and resources for heat protection measures, and set goals for improving them.
In many cities, heat warnings are issued via websites, flyers or social media. Stuttgart also has a refrigerated bus, and is creating a map of cool places in the city, such as: shady green spaces, water playgrounds, drinking fountains, refill stations (filling water bottles), bathing facilities and air-conditioned or cool buildings such as museums, libraries and churches.
Similar systems exist in Hanover, Munich and Düsseldorf.
Many state capitals such as Hanover, Dresden, Mainz, Erfurt, Bremen, Düsseldorf and Munich are relying on the construction of new drinking water wells.
READ ALSO: How German cities are adapting to rising temperatures
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With Germans strutting around in shorts and sandals, it felt more like summer than spring over the weekend.
According to preliminary data from the German Weather Service (DWR), with a high temperature of 30.1C recorded in Ohlsbach in the Rhine Valley on Saturday, the Bundesrepublik has never before seen such high temperatures this early in the spring season since regular weather recording began in Germany.
Up to 29C at the start of the week
If you unpacked some summer clothes for the weekend, there’s no need to pack them away now. On Monday it will be warm again - in some places downright hot.
Temperatures of 24 to 29C and plenty of sun are expected in large parts of the country, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
However, those living in the northwest may want to keep an extra layer or even a raincoat on hand, as that region is expected to experience slightly lower temperatures of 16 to 23C and lots of cloud cover. Rain showers are also possible there during the day, with strong thunderstorms foreseeable in the evening.
The DWD expects light to moderate winds on Monday, with gale force winds only expected on Alpine peaks.
More heatwaves to come
In Germany, weather with temperatures above 30C is considered a heat wave. As weather patterns warm around the world due to human induced climate change, heat waves are becoming more common in Germany each year.
Heat records have been broken again and again for years. The hottest year in Germany since weather records began was 2023, replacing 2022 as the previous record holder. It looks likely that 2024 will break the record again.
READ ALSO: More floods, droughts and heatwaves: How climate change will impact Germany
Heat waves cause significant issues for infants, young children, people aged 65 and over, and people with pre-existing conditions. These vulnerable groups are more likely to experience dehydration, circulatory problems, sleep disorders or heat stroke during a heat wave.
The heat can even be fatal: according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there were around 3,200 heat-related deaths in the summer of 2023.
How prepared are German cities for heat waves
Germany Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced last June that he wanted to introduce several measures against heat hazards. As a result, a November meeting with government and civil society representatives analysed existing concepts and resources for heat protection measures, and set goals for improving them.
In many cities, heat warnings are issued via websites, flyers or social media. Stuttgart also has a refrigerated bus, and is creating a map of cool places in the city, such as: shady green spaces, water playgrounds, drinking fountains, refill stations (filling water bottles), bathing facilities and air-conditioned or cool buildings such as museums, libraries and churches.
Similar systems exist in Hanover, Munich and Düsseldorf.
Many state capitals such as Hanover, Dresden, Mainz, Erfurt, Bremen, Düsseldorf and Munich are relying on the construction of new drinking water wells.
READ ALSO: How German cities are adapting to rising temperatures
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