Overview
- The Deutscher Wetterdienst said a west-to-northwest cold front arrived over the weekend, producing thunderstorms with gusts up to about 90 km/h, hail and locally heavy downpours.
- Rainfall was highly uneven across the country, and meteorologists warned that baked soils and low groundwater mean brief intense showers will give little long‑term recharge and can trigger flash floods.
- Dry fuels and heat have driven active wildfires in areas such as the Eifel and Kreis Düren, where helicopters fought blazes and some residents were evacuated while fire danger remains high in large parts of Germany.
- The Robert Koch Institute estimates roughly 12,500 excess heat‑related deaths from 6 April to 2 August, a statistical figure based on deaths above an expected baseline during hot weeks, and intensive‑care doctors say the true toll is likely several thousand higher.
- Authorities and experts say the change in weather eases immediate heat stress but leaves longer risks for navigation, agriculture, hospitals and care homes, and strengthens calls for a national heat‑protection plan.