In several federal states, the thermometers show record-breaking values. “Incredible overheating” is becoming increasingly common, especially in cities – what measures are needed?
Offenbach – With the current heat in Germany, something has been added to it: Although it was raining mainly in the south-west on Wednesday, the 40-degree mark and a state record for Baden-Württemberg were broken there.
The DWD reported 40.3 degrees for Bad Mergentheim-Neunkirchen at 3:30 p.m. This is also the tenth time that a temperature of more than 40 degrees has been measured in Germany since records began – this was last in 2019.
In other federal states, such as Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, it was hotter than ever since records began in the respective federal states. The German record is 41.2 degrees, which was measured on July 25, 2019 at two stations in NRW.
On Thursday it should cool down a bit nationwide. Especially in the southwest and west there were showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds in some places on Wednesday. Heat and drought are increasingly leading to political debates.
The smallest spark can have devastating consequences
Despite the rain, it remains far too dry overall, said the DWD expert. Forest fires continued to break out in several parts of Germany. An area of more than 30,000 square meters burned near Sundern in Sauerland, and glowing nests kept appearing, as a police spokesman said. Around 400 emergency services were on site. Several forest fires also broke out in the Saxon district of Meissen.
In Baden-Württemberg, Minister of the Interior Thomas Strobl (CDU) warned of the dangers: “Please continue to note that in forests and fields even the smallest spark can lead to a fire with potentially devastating consequences.”
Who is responsible for the heat protection plan?
After days of heat and drought, the political discussion is also getting louder. Currently in focus: Is a heat protection plan necessary? And who is responsible for this?
The matter is clear for the Marburger Bund doctors’ association – it insists again that the federal government should pull the strings in this matter. “National guidelines can help us get a bit of a tempo in development,” said the chairwoman, Susanne Johna, on Deutschlandfunk on Wednesday. It is not about dictating things to the municipalities. She calls for nationwide guidelines, from which the municipalities should then develop their own plans.
“It’s not enough to think about individual buildings, we actually have to think across cities. We need more greening of cities,” Johna continued.
“Need more green and blue in the cities”
The German Association of Cities also wants to do more to combat excessive heat in the cities and the effects. Some municipalities have already published heat action plans, others are preparing them, said Deputy General Manager Verena Göppert of the “Rheinische Post”. Heat protection – for example through more city trees – is also expensive. The City Day calls for fixed budgets for the municipalities for at least ten years.
The ARD meteorologist Sven Plöger explained in the “Rheinische Post” that cities in hot summer weather are often nine degrees warmer than the rural surroundings. “We need more green and blue in the cities, i.e. more plants and water to create more evaporation cooling.” However, one sees an “incredible overheating” due to the increasing sealing. dpa
