Erfurt in the heat check: alarming values for the Thuringian state capital!

Erfurt in the heat check: alarming values for the Thuringian state capital!

Weimar, Deutschland - Erfurt is the focus of the latest analysis of the heat load in German cities. According to a heat check from the German Environmental Aid (DUH), the Thuringian capital receives a yellow assessment, which means that the city is in the middle of 190 cities tested with more than 50,000 inhabitants. However, with a heat-suffering index of 15.89, Erfurt has the highest heat load in Thuringia, which is due to numerous sealed areas and inadequate city green. In comparison, cities such as Gera, Weimar and Jena have lower indices of 14.41, 14.39 and 14.38, while the temperatures in these cities are also on average 34 degrees Celsius. In Erfurt itself, the temperatures between 2021 and 2024 fluctuate around 35 degrees Celsius.

The high sealing of almost 45 percent in Erfurt is particularly worrying. This is an essential problem, since sealed areas make water infiltration and natural cooling impossible. A look at the neighboring cities shows that Gera with 40 percent and both Jena and Weimar, with 37 percent each, are also not far back. As part of this study, the heat index is based on satellite data, population figures and official space statistics, which offers a comprehensive image of urban heat development.

The dangers of the heat and measures of the city

Deutsche Environmental Aid points out that around 3,000 people in Germany die from extreme heat stress every year. Therefore, sensitization to the dangers that emerge from high temperatures is essential. Thuringia's state government and municipalities have already taken measures to meet these challenges. As part of the extended climate pact, 27 million euros were made available for climate protection investments. This also includes the development of municipal heat action plans.

Erfurt has already set up a "heat telephone" to offer affected citizens: to offer support inside, and plans to build further drinking fountain in the city center. Jena, on the other hand, focuses on supporting particularly vulnerable groups, such as lives older people alone, in extreme heat. Gera also works on a municipal heat action plan to actively tackle the dangers of the heat.

• Heat-friendly index of Erfurt: 15.89
• Highest sealing in Thuringia: almost 45%
• Average temperatures in Erfurt (2021-2024): 35 degrees Celsius
• Annual heat note in Germany: about 3,000

In the nationwide comparison, Erfurt stands out due to its high heat load, while cities such as Hattingen, Gummersbach and Witten cut off better in the evaluation due to their extensive green spaces. In order to improve the Situation, the DUH demands statutory minimum requirements for green spaces and advocates greening many urban areas such as school yards.

The heat load is an urgent problem that affects not only Erfurt, but also many other German cities. The analysis shows the need to implement other concepts for cooling the urban space, such as the creation of "sponge cities" that enable better water intake and evaporation. In this way we can use the positive effects of green spaces in the long term to give our cities a more pleasant climate.

For more information on the results of this year's heat check, you can read the complete reports from Thuringia24, Duh and Tagesschau here: Thuringia24 , duh , and Tagesschau .