From water use warnings and airplane evacuations to a spike in swimming accidents, here are some of the ways the on-going heatwave is affecting life around Germany – and how to find a place to cool down if needed.
Since last Thursday, Germany has been dealing with its first major heatwave of the summer.
Weather reports suggest that the high temperatures won’t be letting up any time soon – in fact current forecasts suggest that the worst of the heat is yet to come, with peak temperatures expected later this week in many regions.
But hot conditions are already impacting daily life around the country, and not always in the ways you might expect.
Hospitals prepare for heat stress
Before we get to some of the more unexpected impacts of the heatwave, it’s worth taking a moment to remember that the biggest threat is the heat itself – and in the worst cases it can be deadly.
In particular, infants, people with weakened immune systems and the elderly are often the most severely affected.
In addition to having a heightening body temperature, some common symptoms of heat stroke include rapid heart rate, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, skin changes and experiencing agitation or slurred speech. When someone begins to suffer from these symptoms in a heatwave it is advisable to make an effort to cool them down, and seek medical help.
In the state of Hesse, where high temperatures are expected to be among the highest in Germany on Tuesday, university hospitals say they are prepared for the ongoing heat wave.
“We have sufficient bed and staff capacity to care for the high number of acute cases,” a spokesman for the University Medical Center Frankfurt told RND.
The spokesman added that the hospital has seen “a large number of patients” in recent days for both directly heat-related emergencies, as well as others that are indirectly linked to heat, such as strokes, motorcycle and vehicle accidents or alcohol intoxication.
A woman shelters from sun under an umbrella in central Frankfurt am Main, with air temperature reaching 31 degrees Celsius. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Many German cities have heat ‘action plans’, including setting up cooling centres, where people can access an air conditioned or cooled space. A good search term here is ‘Hitzeportal’ (heat portal): This plus your city name is likely to pull up a webpage with links to local resources.
To find cooler places around you, you might also try searching ‘Kühle Orte’ (cool places) plus your region or city name.
In Berlin the above search will lead you to this online map, for example.
People in Munich told to save water
Residents of the Bavarian capital are being told to make efforts to reduce their use of drinking water as extended hot weather puts a strain on the city’s supply.
To be clear, people should drink as much water as they need – this is especially important in the heat.
But Stadtwerke München, the city’s utilities company, is warning against extensive watering of garden lawns, washing cars or filling swimming pools for the time being.
“Compared to a ‘normal temperature’ June day, water consumption in Munich is currently around 20 percent higher,” said a spokesman for Stadtwerke München.
They added that the city’s drinking water supply is stable, but that heightened consumption during hot weather days can put a strain on the immediately available resources.
READ ALSO: Where are Bavaria’s best swim spots?
A city employee waters a flower bed at Europaplatz. Munich residents have been asked to save water. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel
Emergency evacuation of hot plane at Frankfurt Airport
Passengers were evacuated from an aircraft on the tarmac at Frankfurt Airport after the air conditioning system failed and interior temperatures rose.
The aircraft, of the SunExpress airline, was reportedly stuck on the runway for over an hour with a broken A/C system. According to a report by RTL, interior temperatures reached above 50C before Frankfurt police intervened and forced an evacuation of all passengers and crew.
Some of the 189 passengers needed medical care, the airline said.
The flight, from Frankfurt to Antalya, Turkey ultimately took place later on the same day.
“We are sincerely sorry for what the passengers experienced on board our flight…We formally apologise,” SunExpress said in a statement following the incident.
Swimming accidents spike as large numbers run to rivers and lakes
Germany has seen a surge of water-related accidents in recent years, with many cases seen during hot periods when more people head to rivers, lakes and swimming pools to cool off.
Three men recently drowned in the Rhine River – all three had been reported missing over the weekend, and all three bodies were later recovered from the river on Monday.
One man, a 50 year old father, was reported missing after going to the river for a swim. The other two, aged 23 and 27, were said to not know how to swim. They disappeared underwater while cooling off near a boat ramp.
Due to its strong currents, swimming in the Rhine river is considered extremely dangerous. Major cities along the river, including Dusseldorf and Cologne, banned swimming in the river last year following a spate of drownings.
Across Germany, the number of drowning deaths has trended upward in recent years. Some German media reports on the topic from last year suggest that part of the problem is parents are increasingly distracted by smartphones while their kids swim.
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Other severe weather disruptions
Along with the heat, Germany has seen scattered storms, including thunderstorms and high winds.
Over the weekend severe storms disrupted some large events in different parts of Germany. At least 10 people were reported injured after lightning struck at a handball competition in Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg. A woman was also injured in another lightning strike on a sports ground in Münsingen-Dottingen.
On Sunday, the final of the Berlin Open tennis tournament was postponed after a thunderstorm broke out there.
Heavy showers also caused flooding in parts of Rhineland-Palatinate and elsewhere.
Scattered thunderstorms remain in the forecast in the coming days in parts of Germany.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
