It’s so hot in Germany the Autobahn literally burst open at the seams and had to be closed down

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. The local fire department reported that temperatures inside the home had reached 35 C (95 F). Air conditioning is not widespread in Germany and many countries in Europe because the continent is largely unused to such oppressive heat. A resident at the home died overnight, but it was not yet clear whether the heat was the cause, a city spokesperson told German news agency dpa. Hospitals under intense pressure in France In France, temperatures were easing as the peak of the heat wave was starting to pass in some parts of the country. But hospitals remained under intense pressure in the face of heat-related emergencies, including heart attacks, heatstroke and dehydration. In the capital, the Paris public hospital authority said it activated its emergency response plan across all 38 hospitals to deal with a continuous increase in activity. The AP-HP authority said Friday its emergency departments treated nearly 3,000 patients in the past 24 hours, over a third more th