Germany is bracing for high temperatures on Friday after the national weather service issued heat warnings covering most of the country.
The German Weather Service (DWD) said hot air is moving into the country from the south-west.
The agency also issued an extreme heat warning for large parts of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as areas in northern Hesse and regions south of Hanover.
The DWD warned that northern and north-western Germany could see isolated but sometimes severe thunderstorms, particularly in the morning and early afternoon. These could bring heavy rain of up to 15 millimetres in a short space of time, as well as hail and strong winds.
In parts of the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg and south-western Swabia, severe winds of more than 100 kilometres per hour are possible.
The thunderstorms are expected to ease overnight, although the DWD said further storm activity could continue in the west of the country.
Severe weather already disrupted rail traffic on Friday morning, with several trains cancelled on the Hamburg–Hanover and Hamburg–Bremen routes, according to a spokeswoman for the Deutsche Bahn national rail operator.
She said a signal box fault between Hamburg and Bremen had disrupted train services in the north. Services on the line resumed later in the morning, she added.
