Storm chaos to heat wave: thunderstorms and forest fires devastate Germany!

Storm chaos to heat wave: thunderstorms and forest fires devastate Germany!

Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Thüringen, Deutschland - The heat wave in Germany, which recently reached temperatures of almost 40 degrees, today found an abrupt end. Strong thunderstorms and storms not only caused a drastic fall of temperature, but also caused considerable damage. Especially in North Rhine-Westphalia, especially in Lower Rhine and in the western Münsterland, there were violent thunderstorms, storm fronts and dense rain showers on Wednesday afternoon.

fallen trees blocked numerous streets and led to severe impairment in rail traffic. Keller ran full and many cars suffered damage. The fire brigade was deployed in several locations to fight out broken forest fires. These thunderstorms moved further east in the evening and reached to Mecklenburg and the western Baltic Sea, while the German Weather Service (DWD) warned of further storms, mainly for the night and the following day in the affected regions ( Merkur ).

extreme temperatures and their consequences

Wednesday was the hottest day of the year, with a peak value of 39.3 degrees in Andernach, Rhineland-Palatinate. Saxony-Anhalt and Bavaria followed closely behind, with temperatures of 39.2 degrees in Tangerhütte-Demker and 39.1 degrees in Kitzingen. These extreme values ​​are now no longer uncommon, and the DWD emphasizes the increase in heat waves in Germany as a direct consequence of global warming. According to a study, the likelihood of further temperature records in the country will increase ( DWD ).

The health risks of these extreme heat should not be underestimated, especially for older people and those who work in the sun. In this context, the federal government called for a rethink in urban planning in order to be able to better counter these challenges. There have also been reports from other European countries in the last few days: at least three people died in France due to the high temperatures and in Italy there were fatal incidents on the beach ( FAZ ).

forest fires and disaster alarm

The forest fires represent one of the greatest challenges. In the Gohrischheide on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg, Heidehäuser, which houses a dormitory for people with disabilities, had to be evacuated. Around 100 people were affected, including 45 residents. The district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt in Thuringia was also forced to trigger catastrophen alarm after a forest fire grew on a 250 hectare area.
Around 200 emergency services fought against the flames and a police helicopter supported the extinguishing work ( Merkur , faz ).

In addition, the fire situation led to the blocking of railway lines, especially between Erfurt and Gotha, which resulted in considerable delays and failures in long -distance transport. The causes of damage to the motorway due to the extreme heat were also reported, so that parts of the A5 had to be blocked. The weather will remain tense in the coming days ( Merkur ).