Germany records new all-time highest temperature of 41.5C
Germany has recorded a new temperature record today, just a day after recording its hottest day ever.
The German Weather Service recorded 41.5C in Drewitz, in Saxony-Anhalt state, this afternoon, according to AFP.
That beats the record of 41.3C that was set just a day before in Saarbrücken.
Key events
A summary of today’s developments
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Germany has recorded a new temperature record today, just a day after recording its hottest day ever. The German Weather Service recorded 41.5C in Drewitz, in Saxony-Anhalt state, this afternoon, according to AFP. That beats the record of 41.3C that was set just a day before in Saarbrücken. Police in Berlin have resorted to deploying water cannons to help people cool down in the German capital amid the heatwave. Berlin police are patrolling the city with two water cannons, which are normally used for riot control and dispersing crowds, to provide some relief from the heat, the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported. Berlin broke its temperature record, with 39.2C recorded at a weather station in Tempelhof on Saturday afternoon.
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A teenager and two men have died after getting into difficulty swimming in open water, bringing the total number of drownings during the recent heatwave to five in the UK.
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Experts have warned that the heatwave sweeping across Europe could cause Swiss glaciers to lose vast amounts of ice, AFP reports. The snow and ice that accumulated on Switzerland’s glaciers over the winter is expected to have completely melted by Monday, marking the second-earliest arrival on record of the annual tipping point known as glacier loss day.
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The Danish Meteorological Institute has reported a 37C reading north of the city of Aarhus on Saturday, the highest on record since measurements began in 1874.
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Romania is the latest country to issue a red alert, putting out a warning that almost the entire country would face extreme heat from Monday to Wednesday. Slovakia has issued a similar warning and confirmed that Friday night was the warmest on record with temperatures not dropping below 26.3C. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Moldova were also on the highest alert for the weekend, with Balkan countries also bracing for a tough few days.
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More than 700 flights were delayed at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with some attributed to thunderstorms brought by the record-breaking heatwave.
Germany and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in western Europe spread eastwards, after temperatures broke records above 40C (104F).
Denmark registered its highest temperature on record on Saturday, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. “With 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,” it said in a post on X.
Slovakia, meanwhile, confirmed that Friday night was its warmest on record, with temperatures not dropping below 26.3C.
Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany have all experienced record heat in June, and the weather system could test more records as it rolls across Germany towards Poland.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-made climate change, which has made this week’s night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
“The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend at well over 40 degrees in some parts of Germany,” said Karsten Brandt, a meteorologist at the weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.
The Danish Meteorological Institute has reported a 37C reading north of the city of Aarhus on Saturday, the highest on record since measurements began in 1874.
Ajit Niranjan
Berlin just broke its temperature record, with 39.2C recorded at a weather station in Tempelhof on Saturday afternoon. The German capital may well reach 40C later today or tomorrow.
By lunchtime, almost all of the city’s public swimming pools had reached full capacity, and at 3pm police began spraying water cannons to cool people down. Two people died this afternoon while swimming, public broadcaster RBB reported.
Germany is Europe’s biggest economy and also its biggest emitter of planet-heating pollution. Climate activists in Berlin have planned a protest for Sunday night – when temperatures are forecast to have dropped from 39C to 32C – against the government’s reliance on coal, oil and gas.
“These extreme temperatures are the result of a fossil fuel policy that prioritizes protecting corporations over human lives,” said Nele Evers, a campaigner with Fridays for Future Berlin. “We are all experiencing the escalating climate crisis around us.”
Germany records new all-time highest temperature of 41.5C
Germany has recorded a new temperature record today, just a day after recording its hottest day ever.
The German Weather Service recorded 41.5C in Drewitz, in Saxony-Anhalt state, this afternoon, according to AFP.
That beats the record of 41.3C that was set just a day before in Saarbrücken.
Five deaths in open water during recent heatwave in UK
A teenager and two men have died after getting into difficulty swimming in open water, bringing the total number of drownings during the recent heatwave to five, PA reports.
The body of a 22-year-old man has been recovered from the River Severn in Shrewsbury after he reportedly got into difficulty in the water during the heatwave.
Brody Leach was last seen in the early hours of Friday when he apparently got into trouble, West Mercia police said. His body was recovered from the river this morning and his death is not being treated as suspicious.
A West Mercia police spokesperson said: “Brody has been formally identified by his family and his next of kin have been made aware. Our thoughts are with them, and we ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.
“The area around the riverside where searches were taking place has now reopened. Reassurance patrols will continue in the area today.”
Meanwhile, officers searching for a missing 15-year-old boy last seen in the water at Testwood Lakes near Southampton have found a body, Hampshire police said.
“The boy’s family have been informed and formal identification has taken place. His family are being supported by specially trained officers,” the force added.
Essex police has also confirmed the death of a 69-year-old man in Clacton. Officers said they were called to a medical emergency in Marine Parade East at just after 11am this morning after reports of a man in difficulty in the sea.
The three deaths bring the total number of water-related fatalities during the recent heatwave to five after a 50-year-old man was pronounced dead on Wednesday at Aberavon beach on the south coast of Wales.
The body of a teenage boy was recovered from a lake in Syston, Leicestershire, after he went into the water on Thursday, police said.
At least 15 people died in water-related incidents during the May heatwave.
German police deploy water cannons – to cool people down
Police in Berlin have resorted to deploying water cannons to help people cool down in the German capital amid the heatwave.
Berlin police are patrolling the city with two water cannons, which are normally used for riot control and dispersing crowds, to provide some relief from the heat, the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported.
After misting locals and tourists at Brandenburg Gate, they will be heading to the Reichstag, Potsdamer Platz, the Red Town Hall and Mauerpark.
Police have already used 9,000 litres of water on two occasions so far today, according to Der Tagesspiegel.
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Here are some pictures of the heatwave from the UK and across Europe:
Snow and ice on Swiss glaciers melting at alarming rate, experts say
Experts have warned that the heatwave sweeping across Europe could cause Swiss glaciers to lose vast amounts of ice, AFP reports.
The snow and ice that accumulated on Switzerland’s glaciers over the winter is expected to have completely melted by Monday, marking the second-earliest arrival on record of the annual tipping point known as glacier loss day.
Glacier loss day marks the point when a glacier has melted away all the snow it gained during the previous winter and begins losing older glacial ice. Since records began in 2000, the only earlier glacier loss day occurred in 2022, when it fell on 26 June.
“We’re just seeing enormous ablation, ice melt rates and snow melt rates all over the Alps,” said Matthias Huss, head of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (Glamos).
“We are three months too early compared to a healthy state.”
Severe travel disruptions in Germany with major roads buckling under heat
A number of major roads in Germany have suffered heat damage while a number of train journeys were cancelled as weather forecasters expect yesterday’s all-time temperature record to be broken again over the weekend.
According to the German Automobile Club (ADAC), 11 motorways have been affected by heat damage, the German newspaper Die Welt reported. Pictures show sections of Germany’s autobahn network where the concrete has expanded and cracked due to the extreme heat.
Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies have advised against non-essential travel this weekend due to the heat.
Deutsche Bahn said: “The transport infrastructure in Germany is severely affected by the record heat this weekend. Rail traffic is also suffering from the extreme temperatures.”
National Express, the rail operator running regional trains in North Rhine-Westphalia state in western Germany, has suspended services for six hours this afternoon due to the high temperatures, according to Die Welt.
Preliminary data from the German Weather Service show the temperature reached 41.3C in Saarbrücken-Burbach yesterday, surpassing the record of 41.2C set in July 2019. The weather service also noted that this new record could be exceeded again over the weekend.
Denmark sees hottest day on record
Denmark recorded its highest temperature in more than 150 years today, with the mercury reaching 36.6C.
It surpassed the previous record of 36.4C, which had stood since 1975.
In a post on X, the Danish Meteorological Institute said: “With 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since the measurements began in 1874. And the day isn’t over yet…”
More than 700 flights delayed at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports ‘due to stormy weather’
More than 700 flights have been delayed at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with some attributed to thunderstorms brought by the record-breaking heatwave.
Data from flight tracking website FlightAware shows 379 flights were delayed coming in and out of Heathrow so far today, as well as 385 to and from Gatwick. Sixty-eight flights were also cancelled at Heathrow, and 31 at Gatwick, according to FlightAware.
A spokesperson at Gatwick said: “Due to ongoing thunderstorms across the network last night, temporary air traffic restrictions were put in place, which resulted in some flights being delayed and cancelled this morning. Passengers should contact their airline for further information.”
The Guardian has contacted Heathrow for comment.
Slovakia breaks night record with temperature not falling below 26.3C
Romania is the latest country to issue a red alert, putting out a warning that almost the entire country would face extreme heat from Monday to Wednesday.
Slovakia has issued a similar warning and confirmed that Friday night was the warmest on record with temperatures not dropping below 26.3C.
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Moldova were also on the highest alert for the weekend, with Balkan countries also bracing for a tough few days.
