Avoid thunderstorms this weekend
The weekend brings exciting weather contrasts: While Hoch Gustav gradually moves eastwards, a new low pressure system approaches from the North Sea. The combination of summer heat, heavy rain showers and thunderstorms results in varied events.
As already shown in the previous weekends, the weather is once again split: on the one hand, sunshine, on the other hand, thunderstorms. This is due to the fact that Hoch Gustav is currently moving eastwards and only supplies the south and the easternmost part of Germany with warm, partly humid air. The rest of the country is initially influenced by the warm front of the low pressure system Johanna, which moves northeastwards. In the afternoon, a cold front comes from the North Sea, bringing showers and thunderstorms.
To the south of the Danube and towards Lausitz, it remains friendly and mostly dry. Elsewhere, with changing and sometimes heavy cloud cover, rain showers must be expected. In the northwest, individual, possibly powerful thunderstorms form, which can spread to the west in the late afternoon and evening.
In the transition zone between hot and cooler air, an air mass boundary forms, where powerful rain showers and thunderstorms form. In a wide strip from the Palatinate and Saarland to the northern Brandenburg and Vorpommern, regional large rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 liters per square meter can occur, occasionally even up to 100 liters. In the south and southeast, only a few, spatially limited showers and thunderstorms are expected, which can, however, be quite intense over the mountains.
Peak temperatures of 35 degrees
In the southeast and at the North Sea, it remains friendly with longer sunshine. In the evening, local powerful thunderstorms are possible from the Alps. While it remains at 20 to 25 degrees in the northwest, temperatures are otherwise at high summer temperatures of 25 to 29 degrees. Locally, the 30-degree mark can be reached in the south and southeast.
On Sunday, the focus of the showers and thunderstorms shifts to the southeastern half. In the west and northwest, the showers subside and sunny periods emerge, with temperatures of 20 degrees at the Baltic Sea, 24 degrees in Cologne, and 26 degrees in the southwest. On Monday, a new high pressure system with its core over central Germany brings dry and friendly weather nationwide. The sun appears alongside thin cirrus clouds.
Over the north, larger cloud formations are moving away. Temperatures continue to rise, with peak temperatures of 21 degrees on Rügen and up to 32 degrees at the High Rhine. The following days remain sunny and warm. It is getting warmer and the Wednesday could be the hottest day of the year with peak temperatures of up to 35 degrees. If the forecasts hold true, it could indeed be the hottest day of the year. In any case, it's a welcome sight at the end of the again stormy summer 2024.
Despite the approaching low pressure system from the North Sea, the International Meteorological Organization might still classify this weekend as a mixed weather event, given the presence of both sunshine and heavy rain showers. Consequently, travelers planning trips to Germany during this period should be prepared for occasional bad weather.
