Heat wave in Potsdam: record temperatures and more than 100 injuries!

Heat wave in Potsdam: record temperatures and more than 100 injuries!

Potsdam, Deutschland - in Potsdam the heat is unmistakable. On Wednesday the highest temperature of 2025 was measured at 38.8 degrees, only a hint of 38.9 degrees from 2022, so Tagesspiegel . The German Weather Service not only warns of extreme heat, but also of an increased UV intensity, which, especially for the stay outdoors, carries additional risks. Against this background, the state parliament's health committee discussed the measures for heat protection in the air -conditioned city palace.

health risks through heat

The health risks due to heat should not be underestimated. According to statistical surveys, 99 people died in Brandenburg in 2022. Particularly endangered population groups are older or pre -loaded in terms of health. An expert opinion that was developed over four workshops illuminates the challenges and offers solutions to minimize the negative effects of heat. It is particularly exciting that these measures are intended not only for the country, but also for the municipal levels.

The increase in heat waves since the 1970s is alarming. The European environmental agency predicts that extreme summer in the coming years will become increasingly more likely, similar to how it was in 2003, 2018, 2019 and 2022. Therefore, heat action plans, which were already considered necessary in the second action plan to adapt the German strategy of 2015, are more asked, so the Environmental Office .

prevention measures and urban challenges

In Potsdam, no special program for the homeless person is implemented in the course of heat protection. Instead, the city relies on low -threshold offers to support these vulnerable groups in particularly hot phases. In several counties, the water withdrawal from above -ground waters also had to be restricted. It was also reported that the new garden in Potsdam was blocked for visitors due to falling branches and the associated living risk. Despite the warnings, around 150 people decided to ignore the ban and had to be removed by the police.

In the forests of Brandenburg, there were several forest fires that presented the fire brigades with enormous challenges. It was particularly tragic that two firefighters were seriously injured in a extinguishing in Gohrischheide. Interior Minister René Wilke also emphasized that politically motivated crime in schools increased and reported on an increase in anti -Semitic incidents in Brandenburg by 28 percent in 2023.

In order to be better prepared in the face of these challenges, the exchange between the federal, state and municipalities is more important than ever. The focus should be on the legal anchoring of health protection before and during heat periods in order not only to be able to occur preventively, but also reactively in the population.