Germany sets new heat record again

Germany's temperature record has been broken yet again. As confirmed by the German Meteorological Service (DWD), 41.7 degrees Celsius were recorded at 3.10 p.m. at the Neißemünde-Coschen measuring station in the Oder-Spree district in Brandenburg.

Meteorologists say this figure could still be exceeded over the course of the day. Only around 7 p.m. will it be possible to confirm definitively where the new German temperature record stands.

In recent days, Germany has repeatedly set new temperature records since measurements began. The previous high was only recorded on Saturday in Möckern-Drewitz in Saxony-Anhalt.

The night leading into Sunday was also, according to the German Meteorological Service, the warmest since records began: 29.4 degrees were measured in Kubschütz in Saxony.

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If people are careless, the heat is not only a risk to health, it is also causing damage. On several motorways, including sections of the A2, the asphalt has burst open. The stretch of the A2 near Burg in Saxony-Anhalt that had been closed due to heat damage has now been reopened to traffic. Other sections of the motorway in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt remain closed because of carriageway damage. Drivers are being asked to avoid the A2.

In Leipzig, the asphalt melted directly above tram tracks.

In view of the heatwave, Caritas president Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa has called for more churches to be kept open to visitors, including as places to cool down. Many places of worship are already open, she said, but that is not enough – 'there should once again be more of them', Welskop-Deffaa told the Bild newspaper.

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The meteorological service expects the hot weekend to be brought to an end by incoming storms on Sunday evening, with significantly cooler temperatures forecast for Monday. According to the DWD, maximum temperatures will then reach only between 25 and 29 degrees in most regions, while up to 32 degrees will still be possible locally in the east and south-east of Germany.

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