Germans tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in the Baltic sea, and seeking shade in parks across the country on Wednesday (July 20) amid the scorching weather that has struck Germany and several other regions of Europe.
The ongoing heatwave caused temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius (104F) in many places in eastern Germany.
While some were enjoying the warm summer weather at the beach, others were suffering in the heat. Alarms rang through the streets of Berlin as the fire brigade was called to give medical assistance to those in need and to deal with roof fires.
In Dresden, the water level of the Elbe river dropped to 98 centimetres, causing navigation issues. But according to the Federal Waterways Office, the level is expected to rise again in the coming hours.
A brutal heat wave settled over southern Europe last week, part of a global pattern of rising temperatures, widely attributed by scientists and climatologists to human activity. It is forecast to dump searing heat on much of China into late August.
(Reuters)
