OFFENBACH (dpa-AFX) – In view of the very hot temperatures and a high risk of forest fires due to the drought, people in Germany are called to be particularly careful. In the western half of Germany, the 40-degree mark can be cracked this Tuesday. “The focus of the heat is in the area from Saarland to Rhineland-Palatinate to North Rhine-Westphalia, with low-lying areas on the Rhine and conurbations such as the Ruhr area being particularly predestined,” explained meteorologist Sabine Krger from the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach. Health experts recommended avoiding direct sun and drinking plenty of fluids.
The hottest day of this year so far was June 19, when 39.2 degrees were measured according to the DWD in Cottbus and Dresden. The meteorologists assume that it will still be hot on Tuesday. It cannot be ruled out that the previous heat record for Germany could even be broken. This is 41.2 degrees – measured on July 25, 2019 in Duisburg.
The DWD spoke of a “strong heat load”. General practitioners see small children, the elderly and the chronically ill as particularly at risk. Basic protection includes: staying in the shade if possible, avoiding exertion, drinking water regularly every half hour, moisturizing the skin and cooling with a fan, for example. If the body’s thermoregulation is overtaxed, the organism can overheat to critical levels.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wrote on Twitter: “Younger people should pay attention to older people and remind them of the importance of drinking enough and staying cool. Older people often have trouble feeling temperature and thirst. Their lives are in danger in the next few days. Consideration and active help is needed now.”
Not only Germany but also other parts of Western Europe are suffering from the heat. Extreme temperatures paralyzed rail traffic in parts of Great Britain on Tuesday. As the route network operator Network Rail announced, operations on the main railway lines along the English east coast and in the Midlands have been completely discontinued. People were urged to change their travel plans. Up to 42 degrees Celsius were expected in parts of England on Tuesday. If confirmed, it would be the highest temperature ever recorded in Britain.
Because of the dried out soil, there is also a high risk of forest fires in many places. The five-level danger index of the German Weather Service shows the highest level in some cases in Bavaria, Baden-Wrttemberg, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Berlin, Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony.
Bavaria’s Forest Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU) appealed to everyone to be particularly careful in forests. “The current heat wave and the prevailing drought are causing the forest soil in many places to be covered with dried, highly flammable leaves, twigs and needles. Just a carelessly discarded cigarette butt is enough to trigger a serious forest fire,” she said.
The forest fires on the French Atlantic coast also continued to spread. Within a week, they burned 19,300 hectares of land south of Bordeaux, as the prefecture responsible for the Gironde announced on Tuesday morning. This corresponds to a little more than the entire urban area of Braunschweig. The situation will remain unfavorable on Tuesday. Strong winds had repeatedly made it difficult for the emergency services to contain the fires on dry ground.
On Wednesday the temperatures will drop in the west, but it will be hotter in the east half. According to the DWD, 40 degrees can then be reached locally, most likely in the area from the Lneburg Heath to Saxony-Anhalt./lif/DP/men