German Highways Are Buckling Under Extreme Heat As Central Europe Sizzles

LONDON (AP) — Authorities in Germany reported damage to highways and trains on Saturday. Heat wave scorching Western European countries It is moving towards the central and eastern parts of the continent this week.

Temperatures in Germany are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). In the western city of Dormagen, dozens of nursing home residents were evacuated for medical care due to dangerous temperature conditions in the building.

The local fire department reported that the temperature inside the house reached 35 C (95 F). Air conditioning is not common in Germany and many other European countries because the continent is not used to such sweltering heat.

A city spokesman told the German news agency dpa that a person living in the house died at night, but it was not yet clear whether the cause was the heat.

Even Germany’s famous highway, the Autobahn, was overwhelmed. In two places outside Berlin, the concrete of the A2 exploded due to high temperatures and had to be closed. Other highway damage was reported across the country, according to German newspaper Bild.

Train operator Deutsche Bahn and other rail companies have advised against non-essential travel on long-distance and regional trains this weekend.

“Germany’s transport infrastructure is severely affected by this weekend’s record-breaking heat,” Deutsche Bahn said in a statement, adding that passengers could return their tickets and get their money back if they chose not to travel.

In France, temperatures began to ease as the heat wave reached its peak in some parts of the country. But hospitals remained under intense pressure from heat-related emergencies, including heart attacks, heatstroke, dehydration and heat-related deaths.

Inside capital cityThe Paris public hospital official said it had activated the emergency response plan in all 38 hospitals to cope with the sustained increase in activity.

AP-HP hospital officials said Friday evening that emergency rooms treated nearly 3,000 patients in the past 24 hours, more than a third of normal, with the majority of them requiring hospitalization over the age of 75.

Phone calls to medical referral centers are up nearly 80% compared to the same period in 2025, the official said.

Three-quarters of France, which covers tens of millions of people, was put on red alert for extreme heat on Thursday and Friday, with the mercury topping 40 C (104 F) in some places, including Paris.

The country recorded its hottest day ever on Wednesday; The average temperature measured at 30 French weather stations reached 30 C (86 F.).

Sweltering conditions are expected to gradually ease in the UK this weekend, but a yellow warning (one step below red) remains in force until Saturday night.

Britons have struggled to cope with record June temperatures breaking three days in a row this week. Friday was confirmed to be the country’s hottest June day on record, with a provisional temperature of 37.3C (99F) recorded in eastern England.

The temperature was more than 1 C warmer than the long-standing record for June heat recorded in the summer of 1976 in the UK.

The body of a 22-year-old man who reportedly struggled in the water during the heatwave was recovered from a river, police said on Saturday.

Following the deaths of nearly 40 people in France last week, authorities warned people to be extra careful when swimming in unsupervised areas such as rivers or lakes.

Grieshaber reported from Berlin, Leicester from Paris.