German Autobahn gets new speed limits due to dangers caused by extreme heat wave

A heat wave blasting Germany this week with temperatures above 100 degrees has caused one state to impose speed limits on some sections of the country’s unrestricted Autobahn network.

The Autobahn has many unrestricted sections. (Getty Images)

The government of Saxony-Anhalt is concerned that the famously well-maintained roads could crack due to the extreme temperatures, posing a danger to cars and trucks traveling at triple-digit speeds.

As a precaution, limits ranging from 62 mph (100 kmh) to 75 mph (kmh) have been temporarily set on several stretches of road.

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Germany isn’t the only European country to institute measures affecting automobiles due to the heat. Paris on Wednesday banned gasoline powered cars built before 2006 and diesel cars built before 2011 from the city center to cut down on pollution exacerbated by the weather.

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The continent is being hit by a plume of hot, dry air coming from African that’s been dubbed the “Saharan bubble” and is expected to cause record hot temperatures in some areas in the coming days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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