Heat wave hits Schwäbisch Gmünd: The citizens are suffering so much!

Heat wave hits Schwäbisch Gmünd: The citizens are suffering so much!

Hot days are ahead of us as the first heat wave of the year reaches Schwäbisch Gmünd with temperatures climbing up to 35 degrees. As the Rem newspaper reports, the heat is particularly noticeable in the alleys around the Gmünder market square. The widespread use of concrete and stone without sufficient greenery creates unpleasant heat that builds up in the city.

Current data from German Environmental Aid (DUH) illustrates the problem: The 2025 heat check gave Schwäbisch Gmünd a yellow card because 70.62% of the population here is affected by heat. The average surface temperature in the city is 33.5 degrees Celsius. With an area sealing rate of 44.84% and a green volume of 4.36 m³ per m², Schwäbisch Gmünd is one of the better cities, but criticism of the progressive sealing remains loud - 162 hectares of areas have already been sealed since 2010. The unfair distribution of green spaces is another problem.

A look at the heat index

The DUH examined a total of 190 German cities with over 50,000 inhabitants and found that not a single location in Baden-Württemberg received a green rating. Stuttgart and the Rhine region are particularly affected, while Schwäbisch Gmünd and Aalen have average levels of pollution. In Mannheim, for example, a tragic 88% of the population lives in severely overheated neighborhoods, with a temperature of 38.38 degrees Celsius and an imperviousness rate of over 56%.

The analysis determined the burden taking into account imperviousness, urban greenery, surface temperature and population density. More than twelve million people in Germany live in cities that are severely affected by extreme heat in summer, such as spectrum reported.

Need for action and measures

There is an acute need for action for Schwäbisch Gmünd and other affected cities. The proposed measures include green roofs, cooling water features and shade islands to increase the quality of life in the city. Groups at particular risk, such as seniors, small children and the chronically ill, deserve special attention.

Suggestions for improvement are already being worked on, with committed citizens from the “Grandmas and Grandpas for Future” initiative planning, among other things, tree-planting events in the city center. However, it remains to be seen how the city administration will respond to inquiries about corresponding climate protection measures, as no answers have been given to the requested measures so far.

With the hottest days of the year in sight, it is now up to those responsible to improve living conditions as quickly as possible and to respond adequately to the hot challenges of the future.