Global warming leaves Germany under threat from extreme weather

Germany is under increasing threat from wildfires, heatwaves and floods as a result of global warming, climate experts warned on Wednesday.

"The acceleration of global warming is so rapid that we are flying off the climate curve," said Frank Böttcher, chairman of the German Meteorological Society and organizer of the 15th edition of the extreme weather conference in the northern city of Hamburg.

"We urgently need to put on the brakes, but we continue to emit far too much CO2 [carbon dioxide]. We must now think and plan for a world in which we will exceed the 3-degree [Celsius] limit by 2050," said the meteorologist.

The German Weather Service (DWD) also presented its assessment of rising temperatures in recent years.

"We are observing an unprecedented accumulation of record heat years over the past decade," said Tobias Fuchs, member of the DWD's executive board. "Climate change is accelerating - and with it, weather extremes such as heatwaves and dry spells are increasing noticeably."

Urban residents are at particular risk, Fuchs said.

"That's why we need decisive action: Climate protection to slow down global warming and, at the same time, adaptation to better cope with the consequences," said the expert.