Authorities in Germany reported damage to highways and train cancellations on Saturday as a heat wave that baked western European countries this week moves to central and eastern parts of the continent.
With temperatures in Germany expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), even the country’s famous highway, the Autobahn, was overwhelmed. In two places outside Berlin, the concrete of the A2 burst due to the high temperatures and the highway had to be closed. Other highway damage was also reported across the country, according to German daily Bild.
Train operator Deutsche Bahn and other rail companies advised against all nonessential travel on long-distance and regional trains this weekend.
“Germany’s transportation infrastructure is being severely affected by the record-breaking heat this weekend,” Deutsche Bahn said in a statement.
In the western city of Dormagen, dozens of residents of a nursing home were evacuated for medical care due to dangerous heat conditions in the building.
