Germany braces for 38°C heat and severe thunderstorms as warnings blanket the country

Germany is enduring a punishing Tuesday as temperatures climb between 30 and 38°C across most of the country, accompanied by scattered thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rain, large hail and gale-force winds.

The German Weather Service (DWD) has placed almost the entire nation under heat warnings. An extreme heat alert, the highest level, triggered when temperatures are expected to reach 38°C, covers central and southern areas including Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Erfurt and Nuremberg. A standard heat warning, issued when highs exceed 32°C, extends across the south around Munich and northwards to Bremen, Hamburg and Schwerin.

Severe storms target the east before shifting west

Level two severe weather warnings, the second-highest tier, are active in parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg just south of Potsdam, Saxony-Anhalt south of Magdeburg and Saxony north of Dresden. The DWD expects intense thunderstorms with torrential downpours, damaging winds and hail in these regions through the afternoon.

Storm activity should temporarily ease by early evening with sunny spells developing, but a second wave is forecast to move into the western half of the country later on Tuesday, particularly around the Black Forest. Only the Baltic coast near Kiel and Rügen escapes both heat and storm alerts, with highs a relatively moderate 25 to 30°C.

Gradual relief through the week

Overnight into Wednesday, showers and thunderstorms will drift northeast, leaving lows between 16 and 22°C. Wednesday remains hot in the southeast and east, peaking near 35°C, while the North Sea coast stays near 25°C. Thursday brings the end of heat warnings as highs drop to 26, 32°C nationwide, with the northwest cooling to around 24°C. By Friday and the weekend, temperatures settle further, reaching 29°C in central and southern areas on Friday and about 30°C on Saturday.