Overview
- The German weather service published a preliminary June summary showing a national mean of about 19.5°C, making this the second‑warmest June on record and recording 248 sunshine hours and roughly 66 litres per square metre of rain.
- Late‑June heat produced extreme highs with 46 weather stations topping 40°C on 27 June and a provisional nationwide station maximum of 41.7°C measured at Neißemünde‑Coschen on 28 June.
- The DWD said an Omega weather pattern—an almost stationary high pressure flanked by lows that blocks normal atmospheric flow—caused the prolonged heat and set the stage for sharp contrasts between hot, sunny areas and places with intense, short storms.
- Emergency and transport impacts included at least 26 reported bathing deaths over one weekend, WHO estimates of more than 1,300 excess heat‑related deaths in Europe since 21 June, and flight disruptions at Frankfurt that led to about 100 cancellations.
- Scientists and attribution groups note the scale of the event is tied to long‑term warming in Germany and Europe, raising risks to health, water supplies, agriculture and infrastructure and prompting DWD warnings for severe thunderstorms and localized heavy rain as temperatures ease.