Germans were preparing Saturday for dangerously hot conditions as a deadly heatwave sweeping across Western Europe was forecast to push eastward, with temperatures expected to climb close to 40 degrees Celsius — roughly 104 degrees Fahrenheit — in both Germany and Poland.
The heat system already baked Britain, France, and Switzerland in record-breaking June temperatures, and forecasters expected it to challenge more records as it crossed the Rhine River into Central Europe.
According to preliminary official data cited by German public broadcaster ARD, temperatures surpassed 41 degrees Celsius near Saarbruecken — on the border with France — on Friday, setting a new German record.
France has seen some of the worst impacts, with dozens of people — both young and elderly — losing their lives during the heat emergency. Temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius there have thrown rail service into chaos, disrupted power generation, led authorities to ban alcohol sales, shut down schools, and forced the cancellation of outdoor gatherings.
Meteorologist Karsten Brandt of the weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.de warned that conditions would intensify before improving. “The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend, well over 40 degrees in some parts of Germany,” he said.
Even major sporting events have felt the impact. Organizers of the Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon, scheduled for Sunday in Frankfurt, announced they were shortening both the cycling and running portions of the race because of the extreme heat.
Infrastructure is also under serious pressure. German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn announced it would allow customers to cancel long-distance travel bookings through early next week at no cost. The company noted that sun exposure, combined with the added threat of thunderstorms and wildfires, is putting significant strain on signals, rail tracks, and overhead wires.
Southwestern Germany has already experienced a far hotter June than is typical, and the most intense phase of the heat is expected to begin easing over the weekend, with heavy thunderstorms anticipated on Sunday.
Across Europe more broadly, the heatwave has forced historic cultural sites to close their doors, hurt agricultural production, and pushed some hospitals to their limits.
According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, temperatures have climbed as much as 18 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms. The extreme conditions are being driven by a weather phenomenon called an Omega block, which traps a large mass of hot air over a region for an extended period while pushing cooler air to the edges.
The surge in heat has sent demand for electric fans skyrocketing, while Asian air conditioning manufacturers reported a significant spike in European sales. Much of Northern Europe’s housing was designed to retain warmth rather than release it, making the heat particularly difficult to escape indoors.
The World Meteorological Organisation said the current heatwave will begin shifting toward Central Europe and the Balkans by the end of the month.
Scientists emphasized that this type of extreme heat event would have been nearly impossible without human-driven climate change, which they say has made this week’s nighttime temperatures roughly 100 times more likely than they were just two decades ago.
