The southern countries of Europe have been suffering from drought and heat for weeks.

A heat wave with maximum values ​​of up to 40 degrees is coming to Germany in the coming days.

On Sunday, there will be a lot of sun across the country, the German Weather Service (DWD) announced on Saturday.

Denser clouds could only pass through in northern Germany.

According to the meteorologists, the highest temperatures are reached in the southwest.

There they should climb to 25 to 31 degrees.

In the north and east, the maximum values ​​are between 20 and 24 degrees.

In the night to Monday it cools down to 16 to 8 degrees.

The week starts sunny with loose clouds.

According to the DWD, temperatures will rise to between 29 and 34 degrees on Monday, while in the west and south-west it will be up to 36 degrees.

The coasts, however, were spared from the heat.

In these regions, the meteorologists expect 20 to 25 degrees.

On Tuesday, the DWD expects the preliminary peak of the heat wave.

In the southwest and west, the 40-degree mark may be cracked.

In the northeast, the maximum values ​​are between 30 and 34 degrees.

On Wednesday night, showers could appear in the extreme west and south-west, and individual thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.

Forest fire at Italian holiday resort

In southern Europe, meanwhile, many countries are struggling with the consequences of the intense heat.

In the northern Italian Adriatic seaside resort of Bibione, several tourists had to flee into the sea because of a forest fire and were rescued there by the coast guard.

According to media reports, the fire in the area popular with German holidaymakers broke out on Friday afternoon.

When asked on Saturday, the coast guard was initially unable to confirm whether Germans were among the rescued.

Several fire brigades and a firefighting helicopter fought the flames on the border between the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions.

The operation continued on Saturday.

Fire in Crete under control

The forest fire that has been raging on the holiday island of Crete south of the port city of Rethymno since Friday was brought under control on Saturday morning.

The Greek fire brigade announced that they had been fighting the flames all night.

Six villages have been evacuated.

Although the fire came close to the settlements, no houses were damaged, the municipality's mayor, Agios Vasilios, told Skai on Saturday.

Most recently, 110 firefighters with 33 fire engines were deployed in the region.

At daybreak, five fire-fighting helicopters also resumed work.

The stormy winds in the region, which kept rekindling and driving the flames forward, were problematic.

360 heat deaths in Spain

The number of deaths in Spain due to the heat wave has risen to 360. Among other things, a 60-year-old municipal cleaning worker died on Saturday at work as a result of the heat, reports the Catalan daily "La Vanguardia".