Weather cools as record-breaking heatwave recedes, Green party calls for immediate air-conditioning programme, Germany’s football team faces Paraguay in World Cup knock-out match and more news on Monday, June 29th.
Monday’s top story: Germany cools down after record breaking heatwave
Germany set a new temperature record on Sunday at 41.7C, according to preliminary data from the German weather service (DWD).
The temperature was recorded at the Neißemünde-Coschen measuring station in Brandenburg’s Oder-Spree district near the German-Polish border at 3:10 pm.
This topped the previous record, set just one day earlier, of 41.5 in Drewitz.
According to the German Weather Service, the night leading into Sunday also had the the warmest night-time temperature since records began. This was 29.4C measured in Kubschütz in Saxony.
Extreme temperatures across Germany over the weekend posed serious health risks to people and also caused structural damage.
On several motorways asphalt buckled. Drivers were asked to avoid the A2 on Sunday, where stretches between Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt were especially affected.
Lower temperatures were forecast for Monday, with highs between 25 and 29C — in the east and southeast up to 32C.
The change of weather also comes with showers and thunderstorms and an increased risk of severe weather in the west, south and east.
Remnants of melted tar are seen in the rain following extreme heat on Sunday that caused joint compound for asphalt and concrete to run into switches and rails in Leipzig. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hendrik Schmidt
Green Party calls for ‘immediate’ air-conditioning programme
In light of the current heatwave, there should be an immediate programme to increase the number of air-conditioning systems in public facilities in Germany, Green Party parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge told Bild am Sonntag.
“Germany needs an immediate cooling programme to air-condition hospitals, care facilities, daycare centres, and schools,” she told the tabloid.
The parliamentary group leader warned that, in the future, many locations would be unable to function without cooling and air-conditioning as a large number of daycare centers, schools, and nursing homes currently lack such equipment.
“Heatwaves in nursing homes cost lives,” she said.
The Greens are therefore proposing a new subsidy programme for “climate-solar systems” which would link funding for air-conditioning units to the installation of rooftop solar panels.
READ ALSO: Can you get a rent reduction if your apartment gets too hot in Germany?
Germany must win to defy World Cup doubters, says coach
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said Sunday only winning the World Cup can silence the sceptics of his side as they prepare for a last-32 showdown against Paraguay.
Despite progressing as Group E winners with a game to spare after a 7-1 thrashing of Curacao and a late 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, defeat to Ecuador in their last outing has raised further doubts about Germany’s chances of progressing far in the tournament.
Germany is to take on Paraguay at the Gillette Stadium near Boston in what will, remarkably, be their first knockout match at a World Cup since they beat Argentina in the 2014 final.
The match kicks off at 10:30pm German time.
READ ALSO: How to watch the 2026 football World Cup from Germany
The Germans did enough to top their group as they hammered Curacao and edged out Ivory Coast before an inconsequential defeat by Ecuador.
Ecuadorean and German fans pose for a photo ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Ecuador and Germany. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Currently ranked 10th in the world, Germany are not widely seen as genuine contenders to win the trophy, even if coach Julian Nagelsmann insists that has to be their aim.
“When you talk about the German national team, it is all about trying to win every game. It is all about winning the game tomorrow,” Nagelsmann said on Sunday.
SPD support slips further in Sunday poll
The Social Democrat Party (SPD) has seen a further decline in voter support nationwide, according to the latest Insa Sunday poll for tabloid Bild.
In the poll the SPD lost another percentage point, bringing the number of people who would vote for them to 12 percent if an election were held this coming Sunday. In the last federal election, 16.4 percent voted for the SPD.
Support for the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) remained unchanged at 22 percent compared to the previous week, leaving the conservatives still well behind the far-right Alternative for Germany, which was holding steady at 29 percent.
READ ALSO: ‘Yes, the Alternative for Germany could be banned’ says expert report
Opinions on the Greens and the Left party were also unchanged; they achieved 13 and 10 percent respectively, of the votes of the 1,204 people who were surveyed.
The Free Democrats (FDP) gained one percentage point but, at 4 percent, would still fail to meet the minimum threshold required to re-enter the Bundestag.
Oktoberfest construction begins on Munich’s Theresienwiese
Summer has only just begun, but in Munich preparations for the Oktoberfest are already underway.
Construction for the 191st Munich Oktoberfest begins Monday on the Theresienwiese, reports local news outlet BR24.
The work will continue there for almost three months ahead of the festival. According to the city of Munich, a total of over 1,000 truckloads will be driven to the Theresienwiese during the construction and around 13.5 kilometres of cable will be laid.
This year’s Munich Oktoberfest begins on September 19th and ends on October 4th.
For Munich’s new mayor Dominik Krause, who was newly elected in March, this year’s Oktoberfest begins with an exciting first: The Green politician will officially tap the festival’s first beer keg for the first time this year.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
