Germany's national weather service, the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), issued warnings of intense heat covering almost the entire country on Friday. In parts of the west, conditions are forecast to reach the level of "extreme" heat stress, the DWD announced. Temperatures are expected to be hot and humid, ranging from 30 to 38 degrees Celsius.
Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain are also forecast to follow. The environmental organisation WWF additionally warned of an elevated risk of wildfires across Germany.
Isolated and at times intense thunderstorms are forecast across the west and northwest from Friday morning, bringing gusty winds, small hail, and heavy rain. Further storms are moving eastward across the north during the course of the day, with localised heavy rain there as well, according to the DWD.
Fresh thunderstorms are set to develop Friday afternoon and evening, particularly over the low mountain ranges. In places these could escalate into severe weather events with intense rain, hail, and storm-force gusts. Isolated heavy storm gusts are also possible, the DWD added.
Storm damage caused disruptions on the rail line between Hamburg and Bremen on Friday morning. According to Deutsche Bahn, thunderstorms moved through the region in the early hours, causing signal box failures which led to a number of cancellations and delays on long-distance services along the route.
The disruptions were resolved within a few hours. Regional rail operator Metronom also reported "massive delays" on its services due to the storms, with lightning strikes causing faults on signals and points. Trains were forced to run at reduced speeds, resulting in "significant delays" and cancellations.
According to the DWD, a further band of thunderstorms will move in from the west overnight into Saturday, which could reach severe weather intensity in places before gradually weakening eastward. Temperatures will cool to between 14 and 22 degrees Celsius overnight.
Saturday is expected to bring a further rise in temperatures, with the DWD again forecasting highs of 30 to 38 degrees Celsius, with the highest values in the southwest. Sunday is forecast to see temperatures reach up to 39 degrees Celsius.
In light of the heat, the environmental organisation WWF urged caution during outdoor excursions, citing an elevated risk of wildfires. A carelessly discarded cigarette or a campfire could be enough to start a wildfire, the WWF warned. Walkers, hikers, and motorists should be particularly vigilant in areas with dry pine needles or parched grass.
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