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Germany could be facing the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the German Weather Service (DWD) predicted.<\/p>\n
In some areas, extreme heat warnings have been issued. On Tuesday, the DWD recorded the highest temperature of the year to date: 37.8 degrees Celsius in Kitzingen, Bavaria, according to preliminary measurements.<\/p>\n
Most of the country will see temperatures between 34 and 38 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, with parts of the south likely to be even hotter.<\/p>\n
The heat will be broken by storms in many areas, starting in the south and moving north and north-west overnight, the weather forecasters said.<\/p>\n
Due to the high temperatures, the risk of forest fires was also higher, the DWD said.<\/p>\n
A forest fire in Gohrischheide on the border between the states of Saxony and Brandenburg continued to spread on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
At midday, the flames crossed a firebreak, said Raiko Riedel, deputy head of the local fire brigade.<\/p>\n
Parts of the state of Saxony-Anhalt were at the highest or second-highest level of alert of forest fires.<\/p>\n
The fire risk will likely drop on Thursday as temperatures are expected to inch lower.<\/p>\n
Dehydration risk<\/strong><\/p>\n The all-time heat record for Germany was measured on July 25, 2019, at 41.2 degrees Celsius at the DWD weather stations in T\u00f6nisvorst and Duisburg-Baerl, both in North Rhine-Westphalia. However, forecasts do not suggest that the all-time record will be broken on Wednesday, the DWD spokesman said.<\/p>\n Health experts noted that young children and older adults are especially vulnerable when temperatures rise.<\/p>\n As people age, their ability to regulate body temperature slows, and they have fewer sweat glands, meaning the body’s natural cooling system is less effective.<\/p>\n Babies and young children are also at risk of dehydration and have lower sweat production.<\/p>\n In 2023 and 2024, an estimated 3,000 people are believed to have died from heat-related causes each year, according to the Federal Environment Agency and the Robert Koch Institute.<\/p>\n Most of these were individuals over the age of 75 with pre-existing conditions such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, or lung conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n