Intense heat wave to hit northern Europe

https://www.dw.com/en/intense-heat-wave-to-hit-northern-europe/a-49341481

Intense heat wave to hit northern Europe

Date 25.06.2019

A searing heat wave has begun to spread across Europe, with Germany, France and Belgium likely to experience extreme temperatures in the coming days.

In Germany, temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, topping the country's previous June record of 38.2 degrees Celsius set in Frankfurt in 1947.

Climate researcher Andreas Marx cautioned against over-dramatizing Germany's current heatwave, which can not be compared with last year's drought. "2018 was an extreme event, and extreme events are very rare, especially in successive years," he told German public TV channel ZDF.

Forest fires are of particular concern for authorities in Germany, particularly in the northeast. Local residents were asked to keep windows and doors closed in Lieberoser Heidi — southeast of Berlin — while emergency services deal with a fire which broke out on Monday and spread to an area of about 10 hectares (25 acres), the size of 140 soccer pitches. It is expected to take a few days to put out, reported Berlin public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg.

Meanwhile, French national weather agency Meteo-France predicted that the hot weather could produce temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), while German agencies suggested the heat may break records.

"It's unprecedented because it's hitting so early, in June. We haven't seen this since 1947," said Emmanuel Demael from the French meteorological agency on Monday.
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