Overview
- The Deutscher Wetterdienst reported a preliminary national high of 41.5°C in Möckern‑Drewitz on Saturday, following a 41.3°C reading in Saarbrücken the day before; the values are subject to later verification.
- Rail operators including Deutsche Bahn warned against non‑essential travel and some regional services such as National Express temporarily suspended lines to avoid breakdowns on overheated track equipment.
- Road infrastructure suffered heat damage with multiple autobahn stretches deformed or partially closed after concrete and asphalt expanded under extreme temperatures.
- Hospitals, rescue services and care homes have seen rising heat‑related cases and evacuations, with city rescue units in places like Cologne reporting operations at or near capacity and isolated incidents including a child scalded by a sun‑heated garden hose.
- Municipal leaders and patient‑safety groups pressed the federal and state governments for sustained, fully financed adaptation measures, citing chronic municipal budget shortfalls of roughly €30 billion a year and invoking the Konnexitätsprinzip as a funding principle.