Heat wave in Lower Saxony: severe weather warning for the coming nights!

Heat wave in Lower Saxony: severe weather warning for the coming nights!

With well over 30 degrees Celsius, the local temperatures herald a real summer weekend in Lower Saxony. Very few remain silent in this scorching heat, as people flock to parks, swimming pools and lie down in shady spots to escape the heat stress. Especially on the coast, the thermometer rarely shows less than 29 degrees. But as is often the case at this time of year, you shouldn't just have fun on the beach - the German Weather Service (DWD) is urgently warning of a drastic change in the weather that is imminent next night from Monday (June 23rd).

What is particularly worrying is the alarm message from the volunteer storm observers from “Skywarner Wolfsburg”. They have pointed out possible thunderstorms that could sweep over Wolfsburg between midnight and 1 a.m. The weather will suddenly change: heavy rain of up to 25 liters per square meter and violent gusts of wind with speeds of up to 90 km/h are expected, and hail could even reach a diameter of up to 3 cm. A significant drop in temperature will begin as early as Sunday evening (June 22nd), with the DWD forecasting temperatures between 19 and 25 degrees on Monday.

Severe weather warnings and advisories

At the weekend, more precisely on June 14th and 15th, 2025, Lower Saxony will experience extreme weather conditions. This is initiated by High Xara with summery temperatures, followed by the cold weather front Xhevat, which brings severe weather. On Friday, June 14th, temperatures will already be between 25 and 30 degrees, while the nights will remain mild with values ​​between 12 and 19 degrees. The official heat warning for Saturday says that temperatures could rise to up to 33 degrees - especially in the districts of Emsland, Grafschaft Bentheim, Vechta and Osnabrück.

Weather experts recommend drinking enough fluids throughout the day, avoiding alcohol and not overdoing physical exertion. Light-colored clothing should also be part of the planning to better tolerate the sweaty temperatures. From Saturday evening, however, the atmosphere heralds a storm that will initially hit Emsland and the Teutoburg Forest. This will be accompanied by heavy rain and gusts of up to 55 km/h.

A look at global developments

But what are the climatic conditions in Europe? According to the report from tagesschau.de, Europe is increasingly becoming a “hotspot” of climate change. 2024 was already the warmest year since weather records began, when temperatures were 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The climate status report from Copernicus and the WMO makes it clear that extreme weather events such as those currently being observed in Lower Saxony will not last. There was damage of over 18 billion euros in 2024 alone.

The extreme weather conditions mentioned are not only felt locally, but also have global dimensions. Floods in cities like Valencia, which occurred in October 2024 and killed over 200 people, are a frightening symbol of the far-reaching consequences of climate change.

So what does the future look like? Forecasts indicate an increasing risk of flooding in the coming decades, which is likely to particularly affect larger cities. However, there is also positive news: 45 percent of Europe's electricity now comes from renewable sources, and the number of cities planning measures to adapt to climate change has almost doubled compared to seven years ago.

It remains to be hoped that such progress will take effect and that we will have to suffer less from extreme weather events in the future. We should also keep a close eye on changing weather conditions here in Lower Saxony and prepare accordingly - regardless of whether we wear a sun hat outdoors or have a weather app in our luggage.