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Record heatwave grips Germany, sparking fires and transport issues
🇩🇪 Germany /Energy & Infrastructure

Record heatwave grips Germany, sparking fires and transport issues

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Germany experienced record-breaking heat with temperatures exceeding 41 degrees Celsius in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
  • The extreme heat led to numerous fires, including on a munition-laden site, and caused disruptions to public transport.
  • Tropical nights, with temperatures not dropping below 29.4 degrees Celsius, added to the burden, with experts linking such heat events to climate change.

Germany is grappling with unprecedented heat, as record-breaking temperatures soared above 41 degrees Celsius across the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia over the weekend. The extreme heatwave reached its peak on Sunday, placing immense strain on residents and infrastructure.

The extreme heat load was measured at 41.5 degrees Celsius in Bad Muskau in the Upper Lusatia region.

— German Weather Service (DWD)Reporting the all-time high temperature recorded in Saxony.

In Saxony, the town of Bad Muskau in Oberlausitz registered an all-time high of 41.5 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day. Similar record-breaking temperatures were observed in other regions. Saxony-Anhalt also recorded 41.5 degrees in Möckern-Drewitz, while Thuringia saw its highest-ever temperature of 40.4 degrees in Artern. Compounding the misery were tropical nights, where temperatures failed to drop significantly, with one location in eastern Saxony recording a low of only 29.4 degrees Celsius overnight – the warmest night ever documented in Germany.

In Saxony-Anhalt, meteorologists reported a preliminary all-time high of 41.5 degrees Celsius in Möckern-Drewitz.

— MeteorologistsConfirming the record temperature in Saxony-Anhalt.

The intense heat and dry conditions fueled numerous fires. A particularly challenging situation unfolded in Gohrischheide, on the border of Saxony and Brandenburg, where a fire on a munition-laden site reignited, complicating firefighting efforts due to unexploded ordnance. Elsewhere, firefighters battled blazes in forested areas, including a 4.5-hectare fire in the Harz mountains and a six-hectare fire on former mining land in Thuringia, which produced heavy smoke visible as far as Leipzig.

In Thuringia, 40.4 degrees Celsius was measured in Artern, the highest value ever recorded nationwide.

— MeteorologistsStating the record temperature in Thuringia.

The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of high to very high forest fire risks in many areas. Experts noted that such frequent and intense heat events are becoming more common due to climate change. The heatwave also impacted daily life, leading to the suspension of tram services in Leipzig due to heat damage to tracks and switches, with gradual resumption planned.

The temperature in Kubschütz in eastern Saxony did not drop below 29.4 degrees Celsius overnight on Sunday, according to preliminary DWD data – it has never been so warm at night in Germany since weather records began.

— German Weather Service (DWD)Describing the record-breaking warm night.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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