Alert Issued by the German Weather Service
In the face of increasingly frequent and intense heat events due to climate change, the German Weather Service (DWD) has implemented a layered heat stress warning system to mitigate health risks. This system aims to inform and guide public behavior during heatwaves, alerting the public and authorities about expected conditions that can cause serious health effects.
The system consists of three levels—moderate, severe, and extreme heat stress. Each level indicates an increasing intensity and risk of heat impacts on health and daily life. The most severe level, "extreme heat stress," represents the highest level of danger from heat.
Moderate heat stress can cause discomfort, fatigue, and mild heat-related symptoms. Severe heat stress increases the risk of heat exhaustion and heat cramps. Extreme heat stress warnings highlight conditions that can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening medical emergency, as well as increased cardiovascular and respiratory illness rates.
To respond to these warnings, daily behavior and public health advice typically include increasing hydration, avoiding excessive physical exertion, especially outdoors, seeking shade or air-conditioned environments during peak heat hours, adjusting work schedules for outdoor workers, protecting vulnerable populations, and monitoring weather alerts.
In the city of Aachen, four administrative buildings offer free drinking water during opening hours, and four networked drinking water fountains are available in public spaces at all times. It is recommended to drink at least two liters of mineral-rich drinks like water or tea, and avoid coffee, drinks with lots of sugar, alcohol, and very cold drinks.
Older people and children are particularly affected by heat and require targeted attention. To protect them, it is crucial to ventilate at night and in the early morning hours, keep windows closed when temperatures rise, and protect rooms from direct sunlight early on by darkening with external sun protection to prevent heating.
Subscriptions to the "Heat Warnings" newsletter for your federal state or place of residence can be made on the website www.hitzewarnungen.de. Proper behavior in hot weather is crucial, with information available on the German Environment Agency's "heat guide" and the city of Aachen's website at www.ourwebsite.de/hitze.
Protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation with appropriate clothing, a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Exercise in hot weather is best done in the early morning or late afternoon and evening hours, and intense physical exertion during midday heat should be avoided. Consume light meals with plenty of vegetables, salad, and water-rich fruits, and avoid heavy meals like cold cuts.
On hot days, it's essential to take these precautions seriously to ensure a safe and healthy environment for everyone, particularly vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, people with pre-existing illnesses, outdoor workers, and those in socially or physically vulnerable situations.
[1] German Weather Service (DWD), Heat Stress Warning System: https://www.dwd.de/DE/leistungen/warnungen/hitzewarnungen/hitzewarnungen.html [2] German Environment Agency, Heat Waves: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/gesundheit-und-verbraucherschutz/gesundheit/gesundheitsschutz-bei-extremen-wetterlagen/hitze/ [3] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Heatwaves: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/heatwaves [4] World Health Organization, Extreme Heat and Health: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/extreme-heat-and-health
The German Weather Service (DWD) incorporates weather-forecasting into its layered heat stress warning system, alerting the public about the increasing risk of heat-related health impacts as heat stress levels escalate, from moderate to severe and extreme. To mitigate the health risks associated with extreme heat stress, public health advice typically includes staying hydrated, avoiding excessive physical exertion, seeking shade or air-conditioned environments, and protecting vulnerable populations.
