Intense heat gripped the southwestern region of Germany - Sizzling temperatures persist in southwestern Germany once more
Southwest Germany Bakes in Unusual Heatwave
The German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach has announced that parts of Southwest Germany experienced unusually high temperatures on Wednesday, with several regions reaching near-record levels.
Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate reached a scorching 36.5 degrees Celsius, while Rheinfelden in Baden-Württemberg hit an even higher 37.0 degrees Celsius. These temperatures were for the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.
The current weather forecast for the Southwest of Germany, including Rheinfelden (Baden-Württemberg) and Bad Kreuznach (Rhineland-Palatinate), indicates warm to hot conditions with temperatures generally between 28–32 °C during the day. Nights are expected to be milder, around 14–18 °C. Rainfall will be below normal, with only 3 to 5 days of rain and about 30-50 mm total, meaning mostly dry conditions with dominant sunshine. However, some localized thunderstorms cannot be ruled out, particularly near frontal boundaries or during unstable conditions.
A heat dome effect is present over Western and Central Europe, including Southwest Germany, causing recurring heatwave spells with potential temperatures reaching near 35 °C or higher. This heat dome effect increases wildfire risk and drought hazards in the broader area, as the weather remains hot and relatively dry overall.
Recent storm activity has been noted in Central Europe, including South Germany, with level 1 warnings for heavy rainfall issued around August 19-21, 2025. This signifies possible but limited thunderstorm risks that might cause heavy rain and gusty winds.
As of now, no distinct severe storm warnings are currently issued specifically for Rheinfelden or Bad Kreuznach. However, short-term thunderstorm activity could be locally possible due to frontal perturbations or instability.
In summary, expect generally hot, mostly dry weather with some sunshine and a small chance of thunderstorms in Rheinfelden and Bad Kreuznach over the coming days as part of a broader Central European warm and dry pattern in late August 2025.
It's worth noting that the day before, temperatures in Müllheim near Freiburg reached up to 35.4 degrees Celsius, while Bad Kreuznach hit a sizzling 36.6 degrees Celsius. Trier-Zewen in Rhineland-Palatinate reached up to 34.3 degrees Celsius the same day, and Rheinfelden reached up to 34.8 degrees Celsius the day before. All temperature readings were announced by the DWD in the evening.
The Commission shall find it crucial to document the impact of the ongoing heatwave on weather patterns in Southwest Germany in the preparation of the annual report. Expert weather-forecasters, assisted by Member States, should closely monitor the weather conditions in Rheinfelden, Baden-Württemberg, and Bad Kreuznach, given their recent near-record temperatures.
