Germany appears to have broken its own temperature record on Saturday. According to preliminary data from the German Weather Service (DWD), the monitoring station in Drewitz, in the Jerichower Land district of Saxony-Anhalt, recorded a temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius at around 4:30 p.m., a DWD spokesman told the news agency AFP.
The previous record of 41.3 degrees, set in Saarbrücken on Friday, was thus surpassed in less than a day. The Saarbrücken station in the Burbach district also recorded a higher reading on Saturday, reaching 41.4 degrees Celsius, according to the spokesman. Further exceptionally high temperatures of 41.1 degrees were also measured at stations in Andernach in Rhineland-Palatinate and in Genthin in Saxony-Anhalt.
It cannot be ruled out that temperatures may climb even higher on Saturday. The Friday record had been recorded at around 5:00 p.m.
The data remains preliminary. The DWD spokesman noted that whenever potential new temperature records are involved, the relevant monitoring stations are always subjected to additional checks. Official confirmation of whether a new temperature record has actually been set is therefore not expected until after the weekend.
Earlier forecast models from the DWD had already suggested on Saturday that temperatures could potentially break through the 42-degree barrier. The same possibility remains on the table for Sunday. In any case, conditions are expected to remain extremely hot. The centre of the heatwave, however, is gradually shifting further eastward.
Read more about who is at risk and how to stay safe in this extreme heatwave!
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