Germany set a new national heat record for the second consecutive day on Saturday as a heatwave that has scorched Western Europe all week tightened its grip on the country.
Temperatures reached 41.5 degrees Celsius in Möckern-Drewitz in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, the German Weather Service (DWD) said, marking a new all-time high.
The previous national record had been set only a day earlier, when the DWD registered 41.3 degrees in the western city of Saarbrücken. That figure was also surpassed on Saturday, with temperatures at the same weather station reaching 41.4 degrees.
Berlin registered its hottest day on record, with 39.8 degrees measured in the city's Buch district, eclipsing the previous high of 38.9 degrees set in 2015.
Bavaria equalled its state record of 40.8 degrees for a second consecutive day, while the neighbouring south-western state of Baden-Württemberg set a new high of 41.4 degrees.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, temperatures of 41.1 degrees were recorded in Trier-Zewen and Andernach, setting a new state record for the second day in a row.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a northern state, recorded a new high of 39.6 degrees.
The DWD said at least 46 weather stations nationwide measured temperatures of 40 degrees or higher. Some 250 stations recorded all-time highs, while another 211 registered record temperatures for June.
All figures remain preliminary and could still be revised.
Before Friday, Germany's official heat record stood at 41.2 degrees, measured in North Rhine-Westphalia in July 2019.
Rails and roads feel the heat
The heatwave has disrupted transport. Deutsche Bahn and other railway operators advised passengers to avoid non-essential long-distance and regional travel, warning that infrastructure was under severe strain.
Road traffic has also been affected, with closures and speed restrictions imposed on several major motorways because of heat damage.
Temperatures of 39 to 41 degrees were forecast again for parts of the country on Sunday. A more noticeable cooldown is expected at the start of next week.
The DWD said extreme weather events such as prolonged heatwaves have become more frequent in Germany as a result of climate change, with data showing an increase in the average number of days above 30 degrees Celsius.
