BERLIN, July 1 — Record-breaking temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius hit Germany this past weekend, exposing a lack of national heat protection regulations for retirement homes, nursing homes, and hospitals, many of which have little or no air conditioning. The extreme heat has created life-threatening conditions in those facilities. Infrastructure also suffered: trains and trams were unable to function, and asphalt on many roads cracked under the strain.
Germany has no national heat protection regulations requiring cooling systems in such facilities, according to the record. This absence is drawing scrutiny as experts have been issuing warnings for a long time.
Andreas Becker, a climate expert at the German Weather Service, speaking on Deutschlandfunk Radio, said temperatures in Germany are rising steadily and will continue to do so in the coming years. Europe is being hit hardest by global warming, according to the Federal Environment Agency. The same agency reported that around 50 hectares of land were turned into residential, transportation, and commercial areas in Germany every single day between 2021 and 2024.
That is the equivalent of 70 soccer fields’ worth of natural areas disappearing daily. Sealing soil prevents rainwater from seeping into the ground, leading to severe flooding during heavy rainfall.
Sealed surfaces also can no longer allow water to evaporate, causing cities to heat up excessively and creating dangerously hot urban areas. So the question is what policymakers can do to ensure the country is better prepared for extreme temperatures in the future. Plans for cities already exist, but implementing them takes time and is expensive.
Environment Minister Carsten Schneider from Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party said Monday on public broadcaster ARD that he does not believe it is up to the federal government in Berlin to lead the way in adapting to climate change. The responsibility, according to the minister, lies elsewhere. That stance is likely to fuel debate as the heat wave continues.
With no federal mandate for cooling systems in vulnerable facilities and infrastructure cracking under the heat, pressure is building on German policymakers to act before the next extreme temperature event arrives.
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