Greeting to residents of North and South Wales!
In the heart of Western Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is bracing for an afternoon of scattered thunderstorms and local heat storms, as temperatures soar in the region [1].
Meanwhile, the Women's Euro 2025 is underway, and Germany's national team, led by captain Giulia Gwinn, is set to face Poland in two days [2]. In the realm of education, NRW Education Minister Dorothee Feller is presenting measures to enhance student performance in the west [3].
Safety concerns are also on the rise in the city of Essen, as knife attacks, brawls, and threats of school shootings have become more frequent. In response, the city aims to make schools safer, and a new Task Force has been established to combat youth crime [4].
The federal government is consulting on a bill by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) to restrict the sale of laughing gas, a popular party drug [5]. This move is aimed at addressing concerns that its widespread use could weaken climate goals.
In a bid to combat youth crime, plans include banning children and youth from buying or possessing laughing gas, as well as prohibiting online sales and purchases from vending machines [5].
As the mercury rises, train travelers in NRW should expect disruptions due to the high temperatures affecting railway companies [6]. On July 1, numerous delays and cancellations on more than 30 regional train lines were reported [7].
The heatwave peaked on July 2, with temperatures reaching up to 39°C in the lowlands and 34°C on the mountains [8]. To mitigate the effects of the heat, fitness tests for prospective sports students at the University of Münster have been moved to the early morning [9].
In other news, Borussia Dortmund has reached the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup and will face Real Madrid in the next round [10]. The city of Essen is also preparing for severe weather with heavy rain, hail, and storm gusts expected in the evening [11].
On a political note, a dispute has arisen over the electricity tax, with relief only planned for companies with high electricity consumption [12]. The leaders of the Union and SPD are meeting in the coalition committee to find a solution [13].
Lastly, the new WhatsApp channel of the Good Morning, NRW! website is now live, providing residents with the latest news and updates [14]. Elsewhere in Europe, tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in Istanbul against the arrest and removal of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu [15].
On a national scale, taxi drivers are protesting across Germany for fair prices due to competition from services like Uber [16]. However, as of early July, there is no indication of an ongoing or recent taxi industry protest for fair fares in NRW [17]. For the most accurate and up-to-date details, local NRW news platforms or industry-specific sources might need to be consulted directly.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] - Sources: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] (Links removed for brevity)
More general-news reports suggest that North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) residents should prepare for more severe weather, as temperatures are expected to rise, leading to evening storms with heavy rain, hail, and strong gusts. In other news, the federal government is considering a bill to restrict the sale of laughing gas, which has become increasingly popular among youth, due to concerns about its impact on climate goals.
