Germany is facing a new heatwave. According to the German Weather Service's (DWD) forecast issued on Friday, temperatures in the south and west could reach up to 35 degrees Celsius on Saturday. In the north and east, it will be somewhat less hot, with temperatures expected to climb to a maximum of 30 degrees there.
This trend continues on Sunday, before values in the southwest could climb to as high as 37 degrees on Monday. The heat is then set to persist, with the DWD forecasting peak values of up to 38 degrees on Tuesday, particularly in the southwest. A slight drop in temperatures is not expected until the end of next week, though conditions are likely to remain summery and warm to hot even after that.
Following the unusually early heatwave at the end of May and the extreme heatwave at the end of June, this marks, according to the DWD, already the third heatwave of the summer for the southwest. However, record temperatures like those seen at the end of June, which, according to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute, caused at least 5,100 heat-related deaths in Germany, are not expected this time based on current forecasts. Back then, more than 41 degrees was recorded in some areas.
In addition, the DWD says that despite the high air temperatures, the perceived temperature will be somewhat lower this time than during the last heatwave, because the air mass is initially still relatively dry. The nights, too, can still cool down comparatively well at first.
Ahead of the next heatwave, the Federal Institute for Public Health called on people to protect themselves and to keep an eye on especially vulnerable individuals. Indoor spaces should be kept as cool as possible, physical activity should be shifted to the cooler morning or evening hours, and people should drink around two to three liters of fluid per day. Heat-related complaints such as dizziness, weakness, headaches, nausea, or circulatory problems should also be taken seriously. Those affected should be cooled down, and a doctor should be called in the case of severe symptoms.
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