This summer is very hot - both in Europe and here in Germany. The red colors of the weather maps show this at first glance: In Germany, the temperatures are currently in the southern parts of the country in the direction of 30 degrees, while the north gets some cooling rain at times.
In view of the heat here, a health policy debate has also flared up: do we in Germany need a siesta like we know it from southern European countries? So get up early and work when it's cooler - and then take a long break in the hot midday hours?
A corresponding demand is currently coming from the Association of Medical Officers. In view of the current heat, workers in Germany should "orient themselves to the working methods of southern countries," said Johannes Nießen to the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND) for this Tuesday's edition. Nießen is the chairman of the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service (BVÖGD).
Would you like to know where in Germany the temperatures are currently the highest? The live map below shows it. For a forecast for the coming days, click on the "Play" button at the bottom left. You can also switch the view at the top right of the menu, for example to rain and thunderstorms.
The service is provided by Windy.com. The makers use the model from the "European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts" for their representations and forecasts.
Heat poses health risks for people – including dehydration and heat stroke. Doctors therefore advise staying in cool rooms if possible, drinking a lot and avoiding the midday sun. Heat can be particularly dangerous for the elderly, the sick and children.
However, the understanding of "heat" is probably very different in Europe. It is currently much warmer in the south of the continent than in Germany. The European space agency Esa predicted temperatures of up to 48 degrees for parts of the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia this Tuesday, according to the AFP news agency. Italy's weather service warned of one of the most extreme heat waves of all time - but the temperatures should at least go down a bit afterwards.
The overview below shows the expected maximum temperatures for today. It is provided by the Wetter.de portal, which, like the star, belongs to RTL Germany. Clicking on the graphic takes you to the provider and you can request further details.
In view of the sometimes long-lasting drought in Europe, forest fires keep breaking out, most recently, for example, on the Canary Island of La Palma and near the Greek capital Athens. Although the Greek weather service is assuming a slight cooling of a few degrees in the coming days, parts of the country are expected to be extremely hot again from Thursday.
It's holiday time now - many people from Germany travel south and experience the extreme temperatures there firsthand. On the popular holiday island of Mallorca, for example, it can get up to 40 degrees in the coming days, according to the "Wetter.de" portal.
The ubiquitous heat in Europe is likely to be the dominant theme of this summer for the foreseeable future. The two maps linked above in this article show how hot it is in the individual regions.
Sources: "Wetter.de" / with material from AFP and dpa
