An intense heat wave affecting several regions of Europe caused an unprecedented situation in Leipzig, Germany, where the coating around tram tracks liquefied. The incident led to the complete stoppage of the transport service last Saturday afternoon (27/06), the only railway mode in the city located in the east of the country. This episode is part of a growing pattern of extreme weather events observed globally.
The company responsible for transport in Leipzig, LVB, reported that the high temperatures caused the sealing material, made up of asphalt and concrete, to soften and flow, which accumulated on the sidings and tracks at various points on the network. The condition made safe operation of the trams impossible, forcing the suspension of service until the early hours of Monday.
A company spokeswoman confirmed to the Leipziger Zeitung newspaper that “the substance between the tracks and the asphalt became liquid and formed clumps in some areas.”
The strike, initially scheduled only until Sunday night, was extended by the LVB due to the seriousness of the situation.
Temperatures above 40ºC had their impact aggravated by the constant friction of the tracks with the passage of trams, which ended up dragging the softened asphalt layer for several meters and obstructing the roads.
In addition to the trams, the excessive heat also compromised part of the city’s bus fleet, which was removed from circulation.
LVB is still assessing the full extent of the damage and the date for the full resumption of its activities. The company informed that “the bus service will be maintained, whenever possible, following the schedule. However, due to the atypical situation and the persistent high heat load, occasional cancellations or delays may occur.”
Supermarkets in Leipzig face refrigeration system failures
Known as a kind of “mini-Berlin” and quite popular among young people, the city of Leipzig, in the state of Saxony, had already faced a week of temperatures above 30ºC.
The high demand on the electricity grid, caused by the intense heat, generated problems in several supermarkets on Saturday, which had difficulty keeping their refrigeration systems working, as reported by Leipziger Zeitung.
Heat records are broken in several parts of Europe
The heat wave that hit Germany, and which began to subside on Sunday night, set new historical temperature records for three consecutive days.
The most recent peak, of 41.7ºC, was recorded at around 4pm in Coschen, in the state of Brandenburg, close to the border with Poland. Previously, on Friday, the country had already recorded 41.3ºC in Saarbrücken, in Saarland, followed by 41.5ºC in Drewitz, in Saxony-Anhalt, on Saturday.
In the early hours between Saturday and Sunday, Germany also experienced the hottest night since records began, with 29.4ºC measured in Kubschütz, in Saxony. These data, however, are preliminary and await official confirmation from the German Meteorological Service (DWD).
In several locations, rescue teams and the fire department operated continuously to respond to incidents.
Other European countries also recorded temperature records. In the Czech Republic, the Doksany meteorological station, north of Prague, indicated 41.1ºC. Switzerland had a record for the month of June, with 39ºC. In Denmark, north of Aarhus, the mark reached 37ºC.
In addition to damage to infrastructure, extreme weather has caused an increase in deaths across the European continent. In France alone, authorities recorded around a thousand additional deaths in just three days, the majority of whom were people over 65 years of age.
