'Dangerous': Warnings in place across Germany as heatwave intensifies

Local Germany

a day ago

A heat warning issued by the German weather service (DWD) was in place over virtually all of Germany on Wednesday as temperatures continue to soar.
High temperatures between 31C to 38C were expected across the country, with those in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland and the Ruhr area facing the toughest heat.
It will be particularly hot in lower-lying areas and inner-city areas with lots of roads and concrete, DWD meteorologist Marco Puckert told broadcaster for the southwest
SWR
.
As of around noon on Wednesday, the DWD had heat warnings in place over the vast majority of Germany, excluding only a few districts in the far north of the country, such as those around Kiel and near the border with Denmark.
Extreme heat warnings were in place in the southwest, in the region between Stuttgart and Mainz as well as districts west of Dusseldorf. The latest weather warnings can be
found here
.
The DWD warns of "
severe heat stress
" when temperatures feel above 32C (with little cooling at night) and "extreme heat stress" when the temperature rises above 38C.
"Heat stress can be dangerous for the human body and lead to a variety of health problems," warns the DWD, adding that it is best to avoid the heat if possible.
Heat stress is known to be particularly hard on people with health conditions or less robust immune systems, such as the elderly and new-borns.
When there is potential for heat stress all people are recommended to drink plenty of water, stay out of the sun and avoid physical exertion (especially during the hottest times of day).
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Lack of air conditioning
Germany's (and also Europe's) lack of air conditioning has received more attention recently as increasingly severe heatwaves have become the norm.
READ ALSO:
Six ways to keep your German home cool without air conditioning
This can be uncomfortable for healthy people in homes without AC, but for patients in hospitals or care homes the problem is more serious.
"Most hospitals do not have air conditioning or similarly effective cooling systems," the deputy head of the German Hospital Association (DKG), Henriette Neumeyer, told
Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
"Most hospitals today have to alleviate the heat with simple and ineffective means such as shading and fans," she added.
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Heat-related deaths are much more common in European cities than in the US due to the lack of AC.
A recent
study
by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests that extreme heat could kill millions of people in Europe each year by the end of the century unless countries prioritise reducing carbon pollution and adapting to hotter conditions.
Climate change fuels heatwaves
Studies and scientific organisations agree heatwave episodes in Europe have become more frequent.
Climate change is a significant factor contributing to the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, according to the EU's Earth observation programme, Copernicus.
An academic study published in 2025 in the Weather and Climate Extremes journal on heatwaves from 1921 to 2021 concluded there had been a "significant upward trend in heatwave occurrences across most European regions, with a notable surge in the last three decades."