Is something historic coming our way – weather model predicts 42 degrees – new all-time record
As of: 21.06.2026, 4:00 PM
By: Dominik Jung
The Sahara heat is hitting Germany: From Monday, 41 to 42 degrees are possible in the southwest. A weather column by Dominik Jung.
Munich – What is brewing over Germany right now has never existed in this form before. In the southwest, we are facing a heatwave that will break the 30-degree mark for ten days in a row, often even exceeding 35 degrees. The peak comes from Monday (June 22) to Wednesday (June 24): Then in the Upper Rhine Graben and the Rhine-Main area, 40 degrees and more are possible, with individual model runs even spitting out 41 or 42 degrees.
Hitzewelle und kein Ende. So sieht das ECMWF die weitere Entwicklung bis zum Dienstag (23. Juni). © METEOORED/ www.daswetter.com
This is not gibberish from a crystal ball – on Friday (June 19) the thermometer in Franconian Kitzingen showed a clear 38.5 degrees. The hot air comes directly from the Sahara, pressed under a heat dome that sits like a lid on the pot. This means we are heading for a day that has never existed before. Experts advise caution.
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Hottest June day and new all-time record at once
If these values occur, we are not talking about just any heat record, but about absolute madness. The 40-degree mark has never been reached in June – never, since weather records began. If we now crack 41 or 42 degrees, that is doubly historic: the hottest June day ever measured in Germany, and at the same time the hottest day ever experienced by this country. The previous absolute high is 41.2 degrees – and that could fall. A new all-time record, set in the middle of June: This would have never happened before and would turn all statistics upside down.
Why such a record in June is actually impossible
And that's exactly what makes this so unbelievable. The sun is already at its highest, around June 21. Nevertheless, the hottest period usually falls in midsummer – for a simple reason: The earth, soils, and especially the seas need weeks to heat up. The sun delivers more energy even after the solstice than the landscape radiates, so the heat store continues to grow. In addition, the soil in June usually still contains residual moisture from spring.
This moisture evaporates and cools – like sweat on the skin. Only when the soils dry out at the end of July or beginning of August does the sun heat the air without hindrance. That an all-time record is already in jeopardy now, although the soil is not yet ready for it, makes this heatwave so unique – and so dangerously explosive.
