Zürcher Nachrichten - Germany sees hottest temperature on record of 41.3C: weather service

The new record was seen in the western city of Saarbruecken but the measurement may be changed following quality control checks, the German Weather Service (DWD) said.

However if the reading stands it will beat the previous record of 41.2C set in July 2019.

"It may well be that these temperatures will be reached and slightly surpassed tomorrow," Uwe Baumgarten of the DWD told AFP.

Saturday and Sunday could see highs of up to 42C.

Just hours earlier on Friday the DWD had said that its measurements indicated that the record for the month of June had been broken -- until today that had stood at 39.6C.

The extreme forecast has already prompted the cancellation of numerous events over the weekend, including concerts, festivals and sporting competitions.

The Bad Homberg Open professional tennis tournament was suspended on Friday and the event's final was rescheduled for earlier in the morning on Saturday to avoid the sweltering conditions.

Cologne called off a children's and family festival scheduled for Sunday, while an outdoor opera performance in Leipzig was scrapped after the opera house decided it would be "irresponsible" to have a youth choir perform in such heat.

Environmental authorities in western Germany warned that the heat could cause a fish die-off as rising water temperatures in the Rhine, Mosel and Saar rivers drive down oxygen levels.

Some events are moving forward, such as pride gatherings in Munich slated for Saturday -- though officials warned that the LGBTQ celebrations would be "hot and crowded" and urged attendees to wear hats, drink enough water and apply strong sunscreen.

The deadly heatwave has already baked much of western Europe. Spain has reported scores of heat-related deaths and France has said dozens have drowned and several infants have died in hot cars.

As the heatwave moves east, other parts of central Europe are bracing for extreme highs along with Germany, including temperatures over 40C forecast in the Czech Republic and Hungary.

A.P.Huber--NZN