Heatwave in Germany: Melting Asphalt and Transport Chaos, WHO Reports Over 1,300 Heat-Related Deaths in Europe
Germany is still grappling with the aftermath of record-breaking temperatures reaching 41.7°C, including closed highway sections, melted tram tracks, and health warnings. The World Health Organization reports more than 1,300 heat-related deaths across Europe since June 21.
Although the heatwave in Germany is gradually subsiding, its consequences remain evident across the country. Melted asphalt, transport disruptions, and medical warnings have reignited questions about the nation's preparedness for increasingly frequent and extreme heatwaves. Experts had warned weeks before the scorching heat that Germany was not sufficiently prepared.
On Sunday, June 28, Germany broke national temperature records for the third consecutive day as an anticyclone acting like a "heat dome" over much of Europe began moving eastward. According to preliminary data from the German Meteorological Service, a small rural town in Brandenburg recorded 41.7°C. The heat was relentless, with temperatures never dropping below 20°C at any point during the day.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 1,300 heat-related deaths have been recorded across Europe since June 21.
Transport Chaos and Melting Roads
Though the extreme heat is starting to give way to thunderstorms and rain, the country is still dealing with infrastructure damage caused by the record temperatures. Long stretches of highways in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt have been closed because the heat has irreparably damaged the road surface. Drivers are advised to avoid the typically busy A2 motorway. In Leipzig, asphalt melted directly onto tram tracks, forcing the suspension of services on several key city routes.
In response to the crisis, Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa, president of the charity organization "Caritas," called for continued assistance to residents and urged churches to remain open as cooling shelters. This practice, known as "climate refuges," is already widespread elsewhere in Europe. For example, in Spain, public buildings offer free drinking water and cool spaces for people to escape the heat, providing vital support for vulnerable groups.
Health Professionals Raise Alarm
Just two weeks before temperatures exceeded 40°C, the German Medical Association called for urgent action to ensure hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors' offices could continue operating during extreme heat. These facilities face immense additional strain during heatwaves due to a sharp increase in the risk of heatstroke and overheating among the elderly, infants, and chronic patients.
The severity is underscored by neighboring countries' experiences: emergency departments in France reported a fourfold increase in calls related to overheating, along with a sharp rise in cardiac arrests.
Direct Impact of Climate Change
Scientists emphasize that as global warming continues and greenhouse gas emissions rise, extreme heatwaves will become more frequent and destructive. Analysis by the international research group "World Weather Attribution" indicates that such high daytime maximum and nighttime minimum temperatures would have been "practically impossible for this time of year" half a century ago, in 1976.
