The German weather service expects the highest temperatures of the week for Wednesday. Both inland and on the coast, the thermometer should show well over 30 degrees. Heat and drought increase the dangers for people and the environment.
Schwerin (dpa / mv) - According to the meteorologists of the German Weather Service (DWD), the temperatures will exceed the 30 degree mark everywhere in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania this Wednesday. While it can get up to 39 degrees inland, up to 35 degrees should be reached on the coast, according to the DWD website. The Rostock University Hospital had already warned of the dangers of the heat on Monday and called on people to avoid direct sun. Young children, the elderly and patients with previous illnesses such as high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmia are particularly at risk.
Caution is also required in and around the water: According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), the intensity of UV radiation decreases with increasing water depth, but at a depth of 50 centimeters it is still 40 percent. The downside: "The UV radiation intensity can be higher on the water and above the water surface than on land - i.e. higher than the prevailing UV index," according to the BfS. The reason is the reflection of the water, which increases the radiation.
But it is not only the consequences of heat that threaten, but also the consequences of the acute drought: the DWD warns of forest fires. With the exception of the coastal areas, the experts predict a very high risk for large parts of the country, which corresponds to the highest warning level 5.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the risk of forest fires in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is generally particularly high: "It usually rains very little there and the sandy soil allows the water to seep away quickly."
Although the heat does not have a direct impact on the risk of forest fires, the longer high temperatures persist, the more drought it is due to the evaporation of moisture from the soil and vegetation. On the night of Tuesday, the fire brigade brought a fire near Neustadt-Glewe under control.
