By TheLocal Tom Pugh
The whole of Germany was expected to see widespread highs of over 30C during the coming week, with temperatures in the southwest set to reach 37C on Tuesday.
DWD meteorologists expect the current heatwave to peak on Wednesday with temperatures of up to 39C. The southwest of Germany is likely to be the hottest, but temperatures of 40C are also possible in Berlin and Dresden. Temperatures are unlikely to fall below 20 degrees at night.
Meteorologists are warning people in Hamburg to prepare for temperatures of 36C in the middle of the week and around 39C in the Ruhr area.
Hesse and Lower Saxony could also see extreme temperatures on Wednesday.
Rain is expected on Thursday, but no significant drop in temperature is foreseeable after that, according to the DWD.
Is there an explanation for the heatwave?
This week鈥檚 forecast is the result of a persistent and intense heat dome over Europe, which has already led to record-breaking temperatures in Spain.
On Saturday, a new heat record for a June day was set with 46 degrees in the southern Spanish town of El Granado (breaking the previous record of 45.2 degrees set in Seville in 1965).
The highest temperature ever recorded in Germany is 41.2 degrees, measured on July 25th 2019 at the weather stations in T枚nisvorst and Duisburg-Baerl (North Rhine-Westphalia).
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What is a heat dome?
A heat dome is a weather phenomenon in which a strong area of high pressure stays over the same region for days or even weeks, trapping hot air underneath it like a lid on a pot of boiling water. The phenomenon shuts out cooler air and stops warm air from rising, causing temperatures at the surface to rise.
The lack of clouds and precipitation creates the conditions for intense sunshine, heating the ground even more and often leading to drought and an increased risk of wildfires (as well as extreme heat).
As a result of the current dry conditions in Germany, the DWD expects the risk of wildfires to reach the highest or second highest level by Wednesday in many regions across Germany.
This is particularly the case for Brandenburg, where the state environment ministry has already issued the highest risk level for the districts of Dahme-Spreewald, Elbe-Elster, and Teltow-Fl盲ming.
Due to the ongoing drought, a ban on water extraction from surface waters has also been put in place in several regions of Germany.
Health implications
The health risks associated with severe or extreme heat should not be underestimated, especially for older people and young children.
The DWD warns of 鈥渟evere heat stress鈥 when temperatures feel above 32 degrees (with little cooling at night) and 鈥渆xtreme heat stress,鈥 when the temperature rises above 38 degrees.
READ ALSO: Which German cities are best prepared for extreme heat?
Medical professionals recommend that people should stay in cooler indoor areas during the afternoon heat and avoid physical exertion. Churches and museums in particular are suitable places to escape the heat.