Germany swelters through warmest night on record as heatwave peaks at 42°C before violent storms
The third consecutive day of record heat saw Germany's warmest night ever at 29.4°C, while forecasters warn of up to 42°C on Sunday before severe thunderstorms and heavy rain sweep across the country.
Relentless heat breaks all-time records
Germany is in the grip of the most intense heatwave in its recorded history. On Friday, Saarbrücken hit 41.3°C, a mark that lasted precisely one day. On Saturday afternoon, the hamlet of Möckern-Drewitz in Saxony-Anhalt registered 41.5°C, another national record. By Saturday evening 46 weather stations had measured at least 40°C, with 250 stations reporting all-time highs and 211 logging their warmest-ever June day.
- Saarbrücken sets new national heat record at 41.3°C
- Möckern-Drewitz smashes record with 41.5°C; 250 all-time station records broken
- Kubschütz records warmest night in German history at 29.4°C low
- DWD forecasts up to 42°C in Lausitz; severe storms expected late afternoon
- Cold front arrives: nationwide temperatures to fall below 30°C
Warmest night ever recorded
The overnight hours into Sunday brought no relief. In Kubschütz, a village in eastern Saxony, the temperature never dropped below 29.4°C, shattering the previous German record of 27.2°C set in August 2003. More than 90 DWD stations recorded new site-specific high minimums. Berlin-Marzahn held at 26°C, while Dresden and Chemnitz bottomed out at 25.5°C. Meteorologists said the numbers were still preliminary but described the event as historically unprecedented.
Heat paralyses infrastructure and strains emergency services
Leipzig's entire tram network was shut down on Saturday after asphalt and concrete sealants melted in switches and tracks. The 13-line system will not resume before 3.30am on Monday. In Berlin, the fire brigade handled 2 055 call-outs on Saturday, roughly 500 more than an average day. Heat-related collapses and circulatory emergencies accounted for much of the surge, while the number of fires doubled to over 120. Two men drowned in separate incidents at Tempelhof harbour and Jungfernheideteich; resuscitation attempts failed. Another passenger suffered cardiac arrest on the platform at Innsbrucker Platz station but survived after bystanders began CPR.
Wildfires and munitions challenge firefighters
Forest fires compounded the strain. In the Gohrischheide area of Saxony, 200 firefighters, two water-bombing helicopters and an armoured vehicle battled a 16-hectare blaze overnight. The site is contaminated with old munitions, complicating ground operations.
Stronger wind expected this afternoon could worsen the situation. We managed to contain the fire overnight within a confined section.
In Traisen, Rhineland-Palatinate, residents within a one-kilometre radius of a woodland fire were evacuated until 2am because the area is a former munitions range.
Storms to break the heatwave
For Sunday, DWD predicts highs of 39–41°C in the east and southeast, climbing to 42°C in the Lausitz region. The rest of the country will see 32–38°C, with cooler conditions only along the coast. Heavy thunderstorms with torrential rain, large hail and severe squalls are forecast from the afternoon, with a risk of 50 litres of rain per square metre. Storms will persist into Monday morning before the heatwave finally breaks and temperatures nationwide drop below 30°C.
