Germany prepares for heatwave up to 39°C with storms and fire danger this week
Temperatures will climb from Tuesday, peak on Thursday at 39°C in the Upper Rhine and Franconia, and bring severe thunderstorms and heightened wildfire risk to much of the country.
Heat builds from Tuesday
After a cool Monday, temperatures in Germany will begin a sharp rise on Tuesday, July 28. The German Weather Service (DWD) forecasts up to 33°C for the southwest, while the north remains noticeably cooler at around 22°C under cloudy skies and scattered showers over Schleswig-Holstein. In the south skies will clear quickly, and Tuesday night offers the last opportunity to air out homes before the hot nights arrive.
The night to Wednesday is the last cool night for airing out.
On Wednesday sunshine will spread across almost the entire country. The DWD expects highs of 37°C in the southwest and a still pleasant 25°C on Heligoland. Only the far northeast will see persistent cloud fields, and isolated thunderstorms may pop up along the Alps.
Peak on Thursday with severe weather risk
The heatwave will reach its peak on Thursday, July 30. The DWD forecasts up to 39°C along the Upper Rhine and in Franconia, and even coastal areas could reach 31°C. Some media reports cite alternative model runs that briefly push temperatures as high as 41°C in western parts, though the official DWD outlook caps the high at 39°C. During the day cumulus clouds will increase from the southwest through the west to the northwest, and individual showers or thunderstorms are possible.
The showers and thunderstorms may be intense.
- Temperature split: up to 33°C in the southwest, around 22°C in the north with showers
- Widespread sunshine, southwest reaches 37°C; Heligoland stays at 25°C
- Peak day: up to 39°C in Upper Rhine and Franconia, sea also warms to 31°C; first thunderstorms possible
- Bavaria still 37°C, thunderstorm risk rises sharply with heavy rain, hail, and gales
- Weekend: heat persists, local 35°C possible again in the southwest
- Early August: north 20–25°C, central 25–30°C, south up to 37°C
Nights turn tropical
After Tuesday the cooler nights will end. The DWD predicts that overnight lows in many regions will stay above 20°C, creating tropical nights. Rhineland-Palatinate is expected to see its first tropical night as early as Wednesday into Thursday, and Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg may experience persistently warm nights through the weekend.
Health and fire danger
With the heat come growing health risks. The DWD notes that elderly people, children, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions are especially vulnerable. At the same time the long dry spell is elevating the risk of forest fires. On Sunday July 26, the State Forest Centre raised the warning to level 4 (the second highest of five) in parts of Harz, Jerichower Land, and the Wittenberg region. A wildfire on munitions-contaminated ground near Jüterbog in Brandenburg expanded further on July 26, requiring fresh fire service deployments.
Weekend and early August outlook
The heat will persist beyond Friday. Bavaria may still reach 37°C on Friday, while temperatures from the southwest to Brandenburg remain hot and the northwest becomes noticeably more comfortable. The DWD warns that the risk of showers and thunderstorms rises sharply on Friday, with heavy rain, hail, and gale-force gusts possible. Hotspots are expected from the southwest across central Germany to the northeast, though the exact locations remain uncertain.
Over the weekend and beyond it will stay very warm to hot; there is a definite chance that the 35-degree mark will be cracked again locally in the southwest on Sunday and Monday.
Looking into August, the picture splits: the north should see 20–25°C, central Germany 25–30°C, and the south could still climb to 37°C. The heatwave therefore gradually shifts its focus southwards while the rest of the country gets some relief.
