Germany are facing hot days. But not everywhere the heat will be as oppressive as in the south and in the middle. In the far north it is bearable, says ntv meteorologist Björn Alexander. Nevertheless, he warns of the health problems caused by the heat.
The heat is hitting Germany with full force - where will it be hottest?
The weather computers expect the highest temperatures on Tuesday in the west. Peak values of around 40 degrees are possible here. But the rest of the country also feels the desert air. It's already going up to 32 to 38 degrees. Only the Northern Lights remain - especially in the sea wind - noticeably fresher at 23 to 27 degrees.
What's next in the great heat?
On Wednesday, the heat bubble will shift eastward. The hotspot is in the area between Northern Bavaria, Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and eastern Lower Saxony up to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. There are peak values of 35 to 39, maybe also around 40 degrees.
And in the west?
It cools down significantly compared to the hot Tuesday. Here, violent thunderstorms cause a drop in temperature of up to 10 degrees or a little more, so that the maximum values are "only" at 25 to almost 30 degrees.
A drop in temperatures with correspondingly large storms?
The weather models do not currently reflect a very large and area-wide severe weather situation. However, severe thunderstorms with the risk of thunderstorms due to heavy rain, hail and gusty winds are conceivable from France and Benelux. A situation that should definitely be treated with caution. Because the potential is of course great at such a starting level of temperatures.
Keyword tropical nights in Germany: how sleep-resistant are the nights now?
In the metropolitan areas in the west, it is of course already heating up dramatically, so that Tuesday night can be tropical, i.e. with lows not below 20 degrees. This will increase again on Wednesday night with increasing muggy weather. This also applies further east and generally on the northern edges of the low mountain ranges. Even lows of not less than 25 degrees cannot be ruled out in places.
What does the upcoming heat do to the risk of forest fires?
Basically nothing more. Because the great drought is of course the main engine of the forest fire risk. And it is at a temporary peak, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we have the highest or the second highest danger level 4 and 5 in Germany.
Is there an end to the great drought in sight?
In any case, the situation remains critical for the time being. Regional thunderstorms can provide some relaxation. But the really big and area-wide rain will - according to the current status - be absent in July. And August 2022 is also rated too dry by the experimental long-term calculations.
What about the end of the current heat wave - is the news here more positive?
In particular, the south of our country has to be prepared for a continuation of the heat from peaks above 30 degrees to up to 37 or 38 degrees by the end of the week. In combination with the increasingly tropical nights, this is a very stressful situation in some cases, while normal summer values can be expected in the north and center of our country from Thursday.
What can you do about the heat?
Avoid any overheating of the rooms, ventilate in a targeted manner and take care of yourself - as best you can. At the same time, of course, drink enough and generally relieve the circulatory system. It is also important to keep an eye on other people. The older ones in particular often suffer even more from the health problems caused by the heat - especially if it lasts for a longer period of time, i.e. there is a real heat wave of at least three days in a row.
What is ozone pollution?
The same applies here: limit values of 180 µm per cubic meter of air can sometimes be exceeded. Physical restraint is also the order of the day when it comes to air quality. If you don't want to do without exercise, you should keep an eye on it and, of course, generally shift your exercise to the cooler hours of the day in the morning.
