Meteorology: The second warmest summer since the beginning of the records

Hot, dry, sun-rich: According to the German weather Service, the summer broke 2018 records. Regional differences in rainfall, temperature and sunshine were very different.

Meteorology: The second warmest summer since the beginning of the records

According to German Wear Service (DWD), this year's summer was second hottest in Germany since beginning of regular measurements in year 1881. 19.3 degrees Celsius showed nationwide temperature average this year. Only summer 2003 was hotter with an average of 19.7 degrees.

With 130 liters per square metre precipitation, summer of 2018 was also second driest in Germany, which was ever registered. Only in year 1911 fell less rain, at that time it was 124 liters per square metre. The Regensoll in period from June to August is actually 239 liters per square metre in Germany and is almost twice as high as values measured this summer.

With about 770 hours of sunshine, summer is also one of three sunshine richest since beginning of measurements 1951. The sun shone longest this summer over Rügen and its surroundings, re were sometimes over 900 hours.

Hot in Berlin, cool in Schleswig-Holstein

The warmest German Länder were Berlin (20.8 degrees Celsius) and Brandenburg (20.3 degrees), where new record marks were measured in terms of sunshine duration for se countries with 825 or 830 hours of sunshine. The coolest federal state was Schleswig-Holstein (18.4 degrees), followed by Bavaria (18.9 degrees), where with 210 litres per square metre most rainfall in Germany fell.

In Hesse (19.6 degrees) temperature at 3.4 degrees was particularly far above normal value. There, old negative record of 1911 was broken with 90 liters per square metre of precipitation – even in no summer since beginning of regular wear records, so little rain fell in Hesse. In eastern states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, maximum values were also measured, which were, for example, at temperature above values for respective countries in previous record summer of 2003. This summer hottest place in Germany was also in Saxony-Anhalt: In Bernburg on Saale, temperature rose on July 31st to 39.5 degrees Celsius.

Detailed focus on drought in Germany and global warming can be read here.

Date Of Update: 31 August 2018, 12:00