Temperatures in some parts of Germany could reach a record 41 degrees Celsius later this week as much of central Europe has been hit by an extensive heatwave.
Temperatures of up to 38 degrees have been forecast for Wednesday in western and south-western Germany, before they could rise to up 41 degrees in some areas on Friday, said Felix Dietzsch from the Weather Forecasting Centre on Tuesday.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Germany was 41.2 degrees on July 25, 2019. The highest value ever seen in the month of June was 39.6 degrees on June 30, 2019.
Germans should expect little respite overnight, with temperatures in the western urban areas forecast to remain above 24 degrees - conditions that Dietzsch described as "basically unbearable without air conditioning."
In Germany, it is uncommon for people to have AC installed in their homes.
Dietzsch said he expects the current heatwave to persist until at least the start of next week, with temperatures only expected to drop slightly in the north-west of the country.
People were sweltering in the heat elsewhere in Europe, with France recording its hottest night since 1947 at 21.6 degrees, according to preliminary measurements.
A red weather warning is in place in a record 54 of the country's departments due to the heat.
In the UK, temperatures are also expected to reach up to 40 degrees later this week as human-driven climate change intensifies the impact of a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe, the Met Office reported, according to the PA news agency.
