The number of hot days in Germany is steadily increasing. Anyone who claims that in the past we simply called it “summer” seems to have failed to fully grasp the reality of climate change. A summer in Germany used to mean nice weather, with schools closing when the temperature reached 25 degrees. However, such days were rather rare. Thirty hot days in Cottbus in 2024 is a frightening record.
Despite strong fluctuations, the trend is upward
In a study on heat indicators, the Federal Environment Agency determined when the years with the hottest days in Germany were. The 30 days in Cottbus are not universally applicable to Germany. In 2024, there were an average of 12.5 hot days across the whole of Germany.
A look back at the past paints the following picture of the years with the highest number of hot days: Heat stress was particularly high in 2003, 2015, 2018, and 2022. During these years, an average of between 18 and 20 hot days were recorded in Germany. It should be noted that the summer of 2018 was the second hottest summer in Germany since temperature records began in 1881. Climate change deniers should note that the ten hottest years in Germany were all recorded after 1994.
Doctors record increase in heat-related mortality rate
A study published in the German Medical Journal on heat-related mortality rates from 1991 to 2021 shows that, statistically speaking, there were significant deviations from previous heat-related mortality rates in the “hot years” from 2018 to 2021.
In 2018, heat was the cause of death in 8,700 cases, in 2019 it was 6,900, and in 2020 it was 3,700. The “usual” order of magnitude is below the 2,000 mark.
Oven city: the urban planning challenge of the future
City dwellers, regardless of whether they live in a metropolis, a large city, or a medium-sized town, suffer particularly from the heat. The masonry heats up, there is virtually no cooling at night, and cities become ovens.
As temperatures are unlikely to return to normal levels in the near future, inner-city planning should take this climate change into account. Relying solely on people’s ability to adapt is not enough.
Measurements have shown how, for example, greening streets and paths significantly reduces the heating up of city centers. The shade of trees standing at the roadside on the asphalt surface can reduce the ground temperature by 11 to 25 degrees, according to the magazine watson.ch.
In addition to more greenery on streets and paths, greening roofs and house walls is also necessary to neutralize these heat reservoirs. Examples of “green houses” include the “bosco verticale” in Milan, the “vertical forest,” and the “giardino sospeso” building currently under construction in Chioggia, northern Italy, with its hanging gardens.
Adaptability is only a limited solution
The authors of the above-mentioned study in the German Medical Journal admit that humans have a certain ability to adapt to rising temperatures. However, it would be fatal to see this as a long-term solution. For example, the forestry industry has been looking for solutions for several years to make forests more resilient by planting certain tree species that are more heat- and drought-resistant than native trees, but can also thrive in our current climate. Anyone familiar with brown forest stands, trees infested with bark beetles and weakened by heat, knows how necessary this is.
