Overview
- A high‑pressure ridge is driving a heat surge that meteorologists say will build this week and peak on Thursday with widespread readings of 35–39°C and isolated spots near 40–41°C.
- The heat will be regionally uneven with the south and southwest—especially the Upper Rhine, Untermain, Baden‑Württemberg and parts of Bavaria—most affected while the far north and northeast remain noticeably cooler.
- Many cities in the west and south are likely to see Tropennächte, meaning night‑time lows above 20°C, and forecasters advise residents to use the night to Wednesday as the last good chance to ventilate homes.
- Authorities and health experts are urging immediate precautions for the elderly, children and people with medical conditions, including staying out of direct sun, drinking fluids and checking on vulnerable neighbors.
- From Thursday into Friday the risk of showers and thunderstorms rises, with possible hail, heavy rain and gusts that remain spatially uncertain, and the episode adds to a summer of repeated heat that raises wildfire, water‑stress and agricultural concerns.