After the rain is before the heatwave: if you’re still sweating from the scorching temperatures reached at the end of June, you probably won’t be glad to hear that it looks like there’s another heatwave on its way to Germany. 

Stormy weather this weekend in Germany

But first, some weather at the other end of the extreme. By all accounts, it looks set to be a wet and windy weekend, as a front of low pressure over the North Sea and some very hot air coming from southwestern Europe meet over Germany. 

Expect heavy rain, hailstorms and stormy gusts of wind, especially in areas between Lower Rhine, Lower Saxony and the western Baltic Sea. Mountainous regions in the south and southeast of the country will also experience stormy, blustery weather with some patches of heavy rain and hail. On Saturday night, this weather front will spread eastwards, blanketing the whole country in thunderstorms and showers. 

Second heatwave of the year hits next week

While this heavy rain will bring some much-needed moisture to Germany’s drought-stricken earth, the relief won’t last long. The storm will most likely blow itself out by Monday morning, and a new wave of sweltering temperatures will be hot on its heels. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) is expecting a heatwave to start on Monday, July 22, and last several days, with its peak on Wednesday. With the exception of the coastal regions, temperatures throughout Germany are expected to exceed 30 degrees and even hit the 35 to 37 degree mark in west and southwest of the country. “It looks as if the game from the end of June will be repeated at the end of July,” said Dominik Jung of the DWD. 

Tropical nights and forest fires

Weather experts also expect that the heatwave will be accompanied by so-called “tropical nights”, during which the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees. It will be especially sticky in inner-city areas, so arm yourself with our tips on sleeping during a heatwave.

With the temperatures once more climbing into the extremes, the threat of forest fires is also likely to rise. “Soil moisture levels are likely to continue to decline, reinforcing the drought already prevalent in some areas,” said DWD spokesperson Andreas Friedrich. 

It’s not clear yet whether this second heatwave will last until next weekend, or whether it will dip off towards the end of the week. In any case, it doesn’t look as if Germany’s all-time heat record of 40,3 degrees will be broken. Then again, given how mad the weather’s been lately, anything’s possible…