German Meteorological Office To Nation - Prepare Now For Heatwave Deaths - Deutsche Welle

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German meteorologists say that the country must start preparing for extreme weather that could cause numerous deaths due to global warming. Germany has already heated up by 0.9 degrees Celsius in the past century.

Germany can expect heavy storms and intense heat waves that cause numerous deaths, said Wolfgang Kusch, head of Germany's state-run meteorology service DWD, announcing the results of the meteorologists' observations. "Climate change has become a fact of life," he told a news conference.

Germany's annual median temperature increased by 0.9 degrees Celsius to 8.2 C (46 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1901 and could rise another 2 to 5 degrees by 2100, according to the DWD. Germany experienced the warmest decade of the 20th century from 1990 to 1999 as well as seeing a 9-percent rise in precipitation. Germany should be better prepared for global warming, Kusch said, stressing that farmers in particular would be forced to deal with the effects. The changing climate would also unleash greater risks for people's health, such as infectious diseases and skin cancer.

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Cities would also see their temperatures rise beyond the 2 degree difference the DWD has already observed between urban areas and the surrounding countryside. "German cities will increasingly become 'heat islands' and there will be a growing need for fresh air corridors into cities," he said. "Architects must come up with new plans, such as creating more shade and using heat-resistance materials."

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http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2456758,00.html