Germany faces the hottest day of the week this Thursday. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), temperatures can reach up to 39 degrees locally. The highest values ??are to be expected in southwest Germany and in the southern center. Especially in the Upper Rhine Graben, the meteorologists warn of “extreme heat stress”.

In the extreme west and north-west, it will remain somewhat cooler at 27 to 32 degrees according to the forecasts. Severe weather is also possible in the northwest. There is a local risk of heavy rain, hail and heavy gusts of wind.

And what’s the best way to deal with the heat? It is important to drink enough and to avoid direct sunlight and physical exertion, as experts emphasize. Your own home should also be kept as cool as possible.

40-degree mark will probably not be cracked

Thursday will probably not be the hottest day of the year so far. For example, 40.1 degrees were measured in Hamburg-Neuwiedenthal in July. “Thursday will be hot, but it doesn’t look like we’ll break the 40-degree mark,” said a DWD meteorologist.

The heat record for Germany is 41.2 degrees and was determined on July 25, 2019 in North Rhine-Westphalia.

More pleasant temperatures at the weekend

We can hope for a temporary end to the sweating towards the weekend. Temperatures will drop below 30 degrees everywhere on Saturday at the latest, as reported by the DWD. According to the forecast, they will then be between 20 and 28 degrees. It will also be quite friendly with a mix of sunshine and some cumulus clouds. There are only showers and thunderstorms in the Alps and the North Sea. Calm summer weather is also forecast for Sunday.

However, there will probably be a comeback of the heat in the coming week – but according to the current status it will not be quite as hot as this week.