Northern Germany under heat and severe thunderstorm warnings after overnight storms fell trees in Oldenburg
The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued official heat and severe weather warnings for large parts of northern Germany on Saturday, 20 June, following overnight storms that brought hurricane-force gusts and left dozens of calls for fallen trees in Lower Saxony.
Widespread heat warnings
Almost the whole of northern Germany is under a strong to extreme heat load warning on Saturday. Air temperatures are forecast to reach 35 °C around Hanover and Hildesheim, 32 °C in Hamburg, and up to 36 °C in parts of southwestern Lower Saxony. The German Weather Service (DWD) has put out its second-highest level of heat alert for areas such as Göttingen, Emsland, Hameln, Holzminden and Osnabrück. Coastal strips escape the worst of the heat: islands around 24 °C, Helgoland 22 °C.
It does not get hotter, but the perceived temperature goes up because the humidity suppresses sweating and the body's own cooling effect is almost stalled.
Meteorologist Tim Staeger of the ARD Weather Competence Centre likened the feeling to a sauna infusion and advised drinking plenty of water, skipping alcohol and sugar, and taking it easy during the hottest afternoon hours between 16:00 and 18:00.
- Helgoland
- 22 °C
- Danish border area
- 27 °C
- Hamburg
- 32 °C
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (inland)
- 32 °C
- Hanover
- 35 °C
Friday night's storm damage
During the night of 19 to 20 June severe thunderstorms swept across northern and western Lower Saxony, triggering dozens of fire brigade operations. In the greater Oldenburg area alone the fire service was called out 75 times, almost exclusively for fallen trees. Emsland and Papenburg also reported multiple incidents due to torrential rain. No injuries were recorded. The DWD had issued an advance severe weather warning for the night.
Saturday's thunderstorm risk
A hot and humid air mass with only weak pressure gradients is fuelling an elevated risk of showers and thunderstorms on Saturday. Initially, the storms are expected to form from the central highlands up to the coastal regions, bringing localised heavy rain of up to 25 litres per square metre within an hour, storm gusts of 70 to 85 km/h (8–9 Beaufort) and small hail. Isolated severe weather cannot be ruled out, with downpours reaching 40 l/m² in a short time.
- Thunderstorm complex from the southwest brings hurricane-force gusts up to 105 km/h, 3 cm hail and 30 l/m² rain to Lower Saxony and Bremen.
- Severe storms hit northern and western Lower Saxony; Oldenburg fire brigade records 75 fallen-tree call-outs.
- Heat warnings stay active for most of the north; high humidity creates sauna-like conditions.
- Thunderstorms develop from central highlands to coasts, moving east with heavy rain, gusts to 85 km/h and hail.
- Storms may intensify further east; risk of severe weather in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and eastern districts.
- Showers and thunderstorms gradually subside across northern Germany.
- Cooler, drier air arrives; south remains cloudy with possible showers, temperatures 21–31 °C.
Later in the afternoon, the activity is forecast to intensify and shift eastwards, raising the chance of scattered severe storms in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and eastern districts. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern storm gusts up to 80 km/h, hail and heavy rain of 15 to 25 l/m² are possible, with isolated pockets of 40 l/m². Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein are likely to see only a few remaining strong thunderstorms, and activity should decrease during the day.
Sunday brings some relief
By Sunday 21 June conditions improve markedly. The north will see sunny and mostly dry weather, with temperatures easing to 22 to 27 °C in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, and coastal values around 21 °C. Over southern Lower Saxony the sky stays mostly overcast, and further showers or thunderstorms remain possible, with highs of up to 31 °C. Bremen's health senator called on residents to move physical exertion into the cooler morning and evening hours, to drink enough fluids, and never to leave children, frail people or pets in parked vehicles.
