Germany could be facing the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the German Weather Service (DWD) predicted.

In some areas, extreme heat warnings have been issued. On Tuesday, the DWD recorded the highest temperature of the year to date: 37.8 degrees Celsius in Kitzingen, Bavaria, according to preliminary measurements.

Most of the country will see temperatures between 34 and 38 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, with parts of the south likely to be even hotter.

The heat will be broken by storms in many areas, starting in the south and moving north and north-west overnight, the weather forecasters said.

Due to the high temperatures, the risk of forest fires was also higher, the DWD said.

A forest fire in Gohrischheide on the border between the states of Saxony and Brandenburg continued to spread on Wednesday.

At midday, the flames crossed a firebreak, said Raiko Riedel, deputy head of the local fire brigade.

Parts of the state of Saxony-Anhalt were at the highest or second-highest level of alert of forest fires.

The fire risk will likely drop on Thursday as temperatures are expected to inch lower.

Dehydration risk

The all-time heat record for Germany was measured on July 25, 2019, at 41.2 degrees Celsius at the DWD weather stations in Tönisvorst and Duisburg-Baerl, both in North Rhine-Westphalia. However, forecasts do not suggest that the all-time record will be broken on Wednesday, the DWD spokesman said.

Health experts noted that young children and older adults are especially vulnerable when temperatures rise.

As people age, their ability to regulate body temperature slows, and they have fewer sweat glands, meaning the body’s natural cooling system is less effective.

Babies and young children are also at risk of dehydration and have lower sweat production.

In 2023 and 2024, an estimated 3,000 people are believed to have died from heat-related causes each year, according to the Federal Environment Agency and the Robert Koch Institute.

Most of these were individuals over the age of 75 with pre-existing conditions such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, or lung conditions.