Germany has great heat firmly under control

Even at the weekend it gets very hot in most parts of Germany.

There is also a threat of storms and the risk of forest fires is high.

And not only here: the weather is extreme in many other countries too.

Berlin (dpa) - The heat wave has made Germany the current temperature hotspot in Europe.

People in the country have to be prepared for heat and storms even at weekends.

The German Weather Service (DWD) expects up to 37 degrees on Saturday in the east of the country. It stays a little cooler, especially on the coasts. Before going to the lake or swimming pool, however, it is still worth taking a look at the weather report in many places: According to the DWD, some heavy thunderstorms will approach over the course of Saturday. The night can still be a sweaty affair.

WARMEST REGION OF EUROPE: "With maximum temperatures of more than 30 degrees, Germany is currently the warmest region in Europe," says Christian Herold from the DWD in Offenbach. As early as Friday morning, the weather service warned for almost all of Germany against widespread strong heat load, only on narrow coastal strips and in the foothills of the Alps it should not be so extreme. On Friday the highest values ​​in the east would be reached with temperatures of up to 37 degrees. "On Saturday we see a similar picture," said Herold. In the northwest the values ​​are between 24 and 28 degrees, at the sea it stays cooler.

RISK OF WEATHER: On Saturday, according to the DWD, individual violent thunderstorms form mainly over the central and eastern low mountain ranges. On the night of Sunday, deep “Ulfert” comes into play, bringing in another surge of moist Mediterranean air. Heavy thunderstorms are likely to form in the western half. There could be severe gusts of wind or individual gale-force gusts. The thunderstorms on Sunday that crossed Germany from west to east would also be dangerous. “In addition to heavy rain, the main risk is from heavy squalls and even larger hail,” said Herold.

TROPICAL NIGHT: From Saturday to Sunday, another tropical night with sometimes more than 20 degrees is expected. In numerous regions, the lowest temperatures were already above this threshold on Friday night, as a DWD meteorologist said. If the temperatures do not drop below 20 degrees at night, meteorologists speak of tropical nights. According to the DWD, the highest nightly lowest temperature up to Friday morning was measured in Bad Bergzabern, Rhineland-Palatinate. At no point did it get colder than 22.6 degrees there. In second place was the Vogelsberg in Hesse, on which the temperatures did not fall below 22.1 degrees at an altitude of 740 meters. According to the meteorologist, this is “pretty spectacular”.

FOREST FIRE RISK: The DWD Forest Fire Risk Index shows alarming red to dark red spots for the weekend including Friday.

The index is racing towards the highest forest fire warning level, said a DWD spokesman.

The weather experts see a high level of danger in northeast Germany in particular.

The top soil layers there are too dry.

A possible fire could also get bigger quickly if the wind kept coming up.

DWD forest fire expert Christopher Böttcher sums it up like this: Air humidity, wind speed, precipitation, temperature and solar radiation are important factors.

But it also applies: "The vast majority of forest fires are caused by negligent behavior," reported Renke Coordes, spokesman for the Sachsenforst state enterprise.

WEATHER ABROAD: In southwest France, severe weather with heavy rain and strong gusts of wind caused considerable damage on Thursday evening. At least three people were reportedly injured - including a toddler. It was badly injured in the head when a tree fell on the family car, as reported by broadcaster France Bleu Occitanie. According to the network operator Enedis, 37,000 households in the Occitania region were temporarily without electricity. Fallen trees and flooded roads caused traffic chaos in some places in the southwest of the country. Dozens of people were brought to safety in places around Bordeaux due to flooding. Severe storms, floods and landslides also caused damage and road closures in South Tyrol in northern Italy.

RECORD BREAKING HEAT: In some parts of the USA you can only smile tiredly at the heat wave in Germany. In the western United States, temperatures of more than 45 degrees are expected in many places. In the US states of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, record-breaking temperatures can be expected on Friday and Saturday, said the National Weather Service and warned of "dangerous and excessive heat" in large parts of the states. According to the forecast, the thermometer in Nevada's casino city Las Vegas should show values ​​between 45 and 48 degrees on Friday. For Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, meteorologists predicted temperatures of up to 46.1 degrees.

BATH TOTE: Many people look to cool off in lakes, rivers and the sea - but open waters harbor dangers.

Two people drowned in the Baltic Sea.

In front of Rügen, rescue workers pulled a 43-year-old lifeless from the water near Göhren on Thursday, as the police announced on Friday night.

Your attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

His brother had reported the man missing.

According to the police, it was the first such swimming accident on Rügen this season.

A 71-year-old woman died near Greifswald after bathing in the Baltic Sea.

From the beach in Lubmin, her husband had noticed that she was floating lifeless in the water.

He pulled her out of the water with the help of other beachgoers.

But even in this case, attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.

The woman died on the way to the hospital.

FIRE DEPARTMENT COOLS VACUUM CENTER: A failed air conditioning system in a vaccination center in Fritzlar, Hesse, has resulted in a fire service.

The center, which is housed in a tent, heated up to around 38 degrees in a short time, wrote the Fritzlar volunteer fire brigade on Facebook.

The roof was watered from a turntable ladder on Thursday afternoon.

The warm air was also blown out of the tent with a ventilator.

The fire brigade wrote that helpers from the German Red Cross (DRK), which operates the vaccination center, “brought a lot of ice” to support.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210618-99-41471 / 6

Press release Lubmin

Press release Göhren

Warnings from the German Weather Service

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With the first heat wave of the year in Germany, the risk of forest fires continues to increase.

© Julian Stratenschulte