Tuesday, July 1
Heatwave incoming: Berlin heads for 40°C
An early-week scorcher will send temperatures soaring to nearly 40°C, before storms and cooler air sweep in on Thursday. Public swimming pools are preparing for crowds, and Brandenburg is bracing for wildfires.
After last week’s storms, the capital is now facing the hottest days of the year so far. Weather service DWD predicts highs of up to 39°C on Wednesday. Tuesday will already see summery highs between 30 and 34°C. While the nights offer some relief, it won’t last long.
Wednesday will bring full sun, heavy heat, and little sleep: nighttime temperatures will hover around 20°C. By Thursday, highs will fall back to below 30°C, and rain is expected to continue into Friday, dropping nighttime temps to a far more humane 10 to 14°C.
The Berlin pool authorities (Berliner Bäder Betriebe) are, once again, getting ready for a rush. Extra security staff will be stationed at outdoor pools, especially at hotspots where long queues have previously turned violent. ID checks and bag searches are already in place at some facilities.
Meanwhile, Brandenburg faces a more dangerous threat: fire. With the dry conditions, sandy soil, and dense pine forests, the state is already Germany’s most wildfire-prone region. Now, most districts are under the highest or second-highest fire warning level. Over 100 early-warning sensors have been installed throughout the forests, and the state recently deployed new unmanned firefighting vehicles that can operate even in areas contaminated by leftover WWII munitions.
