This week temperatures could exceed 38 ° C in some parts of Germany. This is the fourth heat wave this summer. “This is no longer normal,” said Mojib Latif, climate researcher at the Helmholz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, to the Augsburger Allgemeine. “It’s anything but normal.” Because of climate change, Latif says, there are twice as many heat waves in Germany as in 1980.
We have a warm week ahead of us
In view of the rising temperatures, the German Weather Service (DWD) has declared a “warning level II” if there is extreme heat stress during the day. However, there will be large temperature differences within Germany. Thursday is likely to be the hottest day of the week, forecasters say, with temperatures between 33 and 38C nationwide and possibly even hotter in some places.
According to DWD spokesman Andreas Friedrich, temperatures of 41 °C are likely to be reached in the Ruhr area, including Cologne, Moselle Valley and Saarland. Heat records are also possible in the Rhine-Main area, with the mercury expected to climb up to 40°C on Thursday. Further in Kitzingen in northern Bavaria, a historical heat record of 40.3 ° C could also be broken.
Stay cool in the heat
With the heat wave currently forecast to last at least until the following weekend, it's important to drink plenty of water during the day and keep your surroundings cool.
“Keep your home cool becausea restful sleephelps to cope better with the heat of the day,” recommends the DWD.
According to the DWD, even the three heat waves of the summer were “unusually high and in some cases long-lasting”. Overall, this year was the warmest and sunniest June since weather records began almost 140 years ago.
Is there an explanation for the heat?
According to climate expert Latif, the Arctic and sub-Arctic are warming twice as fast as the rest of the world.
There are three reasons for this: Firstly, the so-called climatic heat transport to the North Sea has become stronger. As a result, there is less ice to reflect the sun, which also increases temperatures. “In addition, the amount of water vapor in the Arctic has increased,” Latif said.
The strain on the climate is also a consequence of the constantly growing number of people, he added. The world population has almost doubled to 7.7 billion in the last 50 years.
