Erfurt under heat alarm: Is the city ready for the scorching heat?

Erfurt under heat alarm: Is the city ready for the scorching heat?

A yellow card for Erfurt: The current heat check by German Environmental Aid shows that the Thuringian state capital ranks in the middle of the 190 German cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, with a heat impact index of 15.89. Erfurt is the city in Thuringia that suffers the most from heat. The average surface temperature from 2021 to 2024 was an impressive 35 degrees Celsius. In comparison, Gera performed with 14.41, Weimar with 14.39 and Jena with 14.38, whose average temperatures are 34 degrees. This emerges from thueringen24.de.

For this heat check, German Environmental Aid used the heat impact index for the first time to record the pollution within cities. It takes into account factors such as high temperatures, dense sealing and the lack of green space. In total, 31 cities received a Red Card for high heat exposure, while 131 cities received a Yellow Card and 28 cities received a Green Card for low heat exposure. This means that over 12 million people in German cities are exposed to extreme heat stress, as duh.de reports.

Rising temperatures and sealing

A significant part of the problem lies in the high degree of sealing of surfaces. With almost 45%, Erfurt has the highest sealing in Thuringia, followed by Gera (40%) and Jena/Weimar (37% each). These factors contribute significantly to rising temperatures in cities and make the need for heat adaptation measures even more urgent. And this is not an isolated case: climate change is causing increasing heat stress, with significant negative effects on the health and quality of life of residents. nationale-stadtentwicklungspolitik.de draws attention to the fact that there is an urgent need for changes to help cities become more heat resilient.

Thuringia's state government and municipalities have already taken measures in response to the heat problem. The climate pact was extended by the state and municipalities, and 27 million euros are available for climate protection investments. The municipalities also develop heat action plans. Erfurt, for example, has set up a “heat telephone” to support the population during extreme temperatures and is planning to install more drinking fountains. Jena also plans to provide targeted support to older people living alone during heat waves.

Proactive measures

A municipal heat action plan is being worked on in Gera, and the state of Thuringia plans to present a nationwide heat action plan by the end of the year. These strategic steps are necessary to enable people in the affected cities to live a bearable life.

In a general context, the heat check shows that awareness of the challenges of climate change is increasing. Overcoming the heat challenges is no easy task, but with joint efforts and consistent measures, cities like Erfurt, Jena and Gera can potentially get through the summer cooler.