Weather: Temperature record again in Germany: 41.7 degrees measured

Germany experienced yet another temperature record this weekend as extreme heat swept across the country, marking one of the hottest periods on record. On Saturday, June 26, 2026, the German Weather Service (Deutsche Wetterdienst, DWD) recorded a new all-time high temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius in Möckern-Drewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, at 4:20 p.m. This surpassed the previous national record of 41.2 degrees Celsius set in July 2019 in Tönisvorst and Duisburg-Baerl. Earlier in the week, temperatures had already reached 41.3 degrees Celsius in Saarbrücken-Burbach on Friday afternoon, followed by 41.4 degrees Celsius in the same location on Saturday morning.

The heatwave did not just break daytime records but also shattered nighttime temperature benchmarks. According to preliminary data from the DWD, the night following the peak heat was the warmest since records began, with temperatures in Kubschütz, eastern Saxony, not dropping below 29.4 degrees Celsius. This significantly exceeded the previous record of 27.2 degrees Celsius, which had been set in August 2003 at the Berg Weinbiet in Rhineland-Palatinate. The extreme conditions were felt nationwide, with more than 250 weather stations recording unprecedented temperatures during the weekend. At 46 of these locations, temperatures reached at least 40 degrees Celsius, while 211 stations registered record-breaking values for the month of June.

The impact of the heat extended beyond meteorological records, affecting infrastructure and public safety. Germany's rail network faced significant disruptions, with major railway companies advising against non-essential travel due to the strain on the system caused by the extreme temperatures. On Saturday evening, over 600 passengers were stranded in a train without air conditioning in the Prignitz region of Brandenburg after a storm knocked down a tree onto power lines. Three individuals suffered circulatory problems and required hospital treatment. Additionally, road networks were impacted as high temperatures caused asphalt to buckle due to thermal expansion, leading to closures and speed restrictions on several highways. Older sections of roads, already under stress from prior repairs, were particularly vulnerable to damage.

The human toll of the heatwave was also severe, with at least ten fatalities linked to water-related incidents. In Berlin, two men were found dead in separate bodies of water on Saturday. A 27-year-old drowned in the Neckar River near Heidelberg, and a 30-year-old lost his life in a lake near Neuhofen south of Mannheim. Another victim, a 40-year-old man, was discovered lifeless in the Raunheim forest lake southwest of Frankfurt. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a six-year-old boy drowned in the Rhein-Herne Canal in Herne. Earlier in the week, a 45-year-old man died in the Seepark Lünen near Dortmund after being pulled from the water by visitors. An eight-year-old child was found dead in a lake in Isernhagen, near Hanover, after a two-hour search. Two men were also recovered from Lake Constance after prolonged searches, having disappeared into the water on Thursday in front of their partners.

As the heatwave continued its grip on Germany, authorities anticipated some relief by Monday. However, the intensity of the current wave has raised concerns about future climate resilience and preparedness for such extreme weather events. With temperatures breaking historical records and causing widespread disruption, the situation underscores the growing challenges posed by climate change and the need for adaptive measures to protect both infrastructure and public health.