Two men sit in the shade by the Rhine with a bottle of water.
Credit: Henning Kaiser/dpa
As a record heatwave leaves Europe sweltering, Germany could see temperatures reach a rare 40 degrees Celsius this week, the German Weather Service said on Tuesday.
Tuesday and Wednesday are set to be “the hottest days of the summer so far,” meteorologist Marco Manitta said.
The warm weather is linked to a mass of hot air that has spread over Germany from south-western Europe and is continuing to heat up locally.
Tuesday could see temperatures reach 38 degrees in the west and south of the country, with only coastal and mountainous areas remaining below 30 degrees.
Temperatures are forecast to peak on Wednesday with highs of up to 40 degrees, the Offenbach-based agency said.
Thunderstorms are also expected in parts of the country across both days, with temperatures set to drop on Thursday.
Germany’s record temperature was measured at 41.2 degrees in July 2019 in the north-western town of Tönisvorst.
The meteorologist gave tips on how to deal with the heat.
“Drink plenty of fluids, avoid the heat in the afternoon and evening if possible and keep your home cool by only ventilating it at night and in the morning, closing windows and shutters during the day.”
Europe has been suffering from an extreme heatwave in recent days, with Spain seeing highs of 46 degrees and the whole of France on red alert on Tuesday.
