The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued a heat warning across Germany, as temperatures over 35 degrees celsius are expected in some regions.

DWD issues Hitzewarnung for Germany

The DWD has issued a heat warning for July 31 and August 1 in Germany, as the hottest day of the year so far is expected.

Residents in the west, south, southwest and central Germany should take particular care, with extreme heat warnings issued for Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg until 7pm on the evening of July 31.

The DWD has urged residents to stay out of direct sunlight, drink plenty of water and keep cool indoors.

Moving into Thursday, post-heatwave thunderstorms with heavy rain are expected. Temperatures are expected to remain around 30 degrees, meaning the weather will remain hot and muggy, according to Wetter.de.

Local authorities must do more to prepare for fire weather

In a timely press release published on July 30, Germany’s Senckenberg Society for Nature Research in Frankfurt (SBiK-F) warned that fire risk “will increase significantly across Europe” in the coming decades, including in regions that are yet unthreatened. 

“The more the climate warms, the more dramatic “fire weather” developments will be,” the group of researchers, led by Thomas Hickler, noted. Alongside increasingly powerful flooding, forest fires in recent years have made climate change more tangible in Germany.

They urged local governments to further develop early warning systems for forest fires, forest fire surveillance, and combatting methods.

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