Climate by region
The warmest region in Germany is the one adjoining France, in the west of the Black Forest, in Baden-Württemberg. This is also the state with the most hours of sunshine, with over 1,700 hours in Freiburg im Breisgau every year. If we exclude the high mountain peaks, the coldest part is to the east, between Dresden (Saxony) and Berlin. However, the Bavarian peaks offer even colder conditions, and the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country was -45.9°C on December 24, 2001, in the Berchtesgaden National Park. The hottest temperature was recorded in Lingen, Lower Saxony, where the thermometer read 42.6°C in July 2019. There is both a west-east axis here, due to the influence of the ocean on the west of the country, and a north-south axis, explained by the difference in relief between the plains of the north and the high peaks of the south.
The north-west is subject to higher rainfall, which has earned the region an affectionate nickname from the Germans: Schmuddelwetter. Schmuddelwetter means "bad weather", and refers to the prolonged fine rain and constant overcast skies that affect the Länder of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, as well as Bremen and Hamburg. North Rhine-Westphalia holds the country's rainfall record, set by the town of Remscheid, between Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, which is known throughout the country as one of Germany's wettest cities. Hamburg, meanwhile, has its own little proverb: " Das Wetter sei in der einen Hälfte des Jahres schlecht, während es in der anderen Zeit regnet ". Understand that in Hamburg, it's ugly half the year, and the other half, it rains. Fortunately, the north-west doesn't lose out on everything, as the oceanic influence helps to regulate temperatures. As a result, winters are mild, but summers are lukewarm.
Eastern Germany, on the other hand, is characterized by a continental climate, with a much wider temperature range. As a result, winters are often harsh and summers scorching. The North-East, although on the Baltic Sea coast, is not affected by an oceanic climate, but rather a continental one, simply because the Baltic Sea is enclosed, and is therefore not influenced by Atlantic currents. The Baltic coast even enjoys sunshine that is exceptional for the east of the country, as in Rostock. This port city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is famous for its microclimate, which means that it is often bathed in sunshine, whereas the sunshine in eastern Germany is rather average for the country as a whole. Precipitation in eastern Germany is less generous than in the west, and is mainly concentrated in summer. The Oderbruch region, i.e. the valley of the river Oder, which includes Berlin and the state of Brandenburg, is the driest in Germany, with annual precipitation of between 500 and 550 mm, although it can reach over 1,000 mm in some north-western regions.
Finally, the south is influenced by the Alpine climate. Munich is Germany's snowiest city. Precipitation is high, but mainly in the form of short but intense mountain showers. Summers are hot and dry, but interspersed with thunderstorms, and winters very cold. Due to variations in altitude, the climate can be very changeable. The south is also affected by the foehn, a hot, dry wind characteristic of the northern slopes of the Alps. Foehn occurs when cold, wet winds, in this case from the Mediterranean, meet high ground. As the air flows over the mountain, it cools as altitude rises, then suddenly warms as it descends the other side. In Bavaria, the foehn tends to soften the end of winter and accelerate the snowmelt, which is then particularly sudden.
Global warming
Germany is no exception to the effects of climate change, and temperatures are rising all the time. 2018 was the hottest year on record in the country, with an average annual temperature of 10.5°C.
However, climate disruption is not only reflected in rising temperatures, but also in a polarization of the climate. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense. Major floods are on the increase, as was the case in December 2023 in the north-west of the country, particularly in Lower Saxony. At that time, the state experienced rainfall of 160 liters per square meter, more than double the seasonal average. In July 2021, flooding had already occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia, engulfing 10,000 homes and killing 136 people. This led to a study by the World Weather Attribution. This team of 39 international climatologists attributed these extreme floods directly to global warming and human activity. They determined that Germany was now up to 9 times more likely to be hit by torrential downpours, and that global warming had increased the risk of rainfall in the country by 20%.
These once-rare floods now recur almost every year, while at the same time, droughts paradoxically strike the country. In 2018, the Rhine reached its lowest level ever recorded, with a depth of just 77 cm in Cologne and 25 cm in Kaub. This water level had also led to some strange discoveries in the emptied bed, such as a 50 kg bomb dating back to the Second World War. The Rhine is drying up more and more frequently in summer due to heatwaves and lack of rainfall, and this was repeated in 2022. As the river is one of Germany's main trade routes, the phenomenon has severely disrupted the country's economy and caused shortages, not to mention the dramatic consequences for the river's living creatures.
Repeated drought has also led to an increase in the number of forest fires. This phenomenon is further encouraged by the high proportion of monoculture forestry in Germany, which tends to plant entire forests of conifers, valued for their rapid growth. However, these little-diversified forests are much more fragile and often more flammable, due to the conifers' resin.
The country's northern coastline is also affected by frequent storms. In March 2023, the federal government commissioned a study, which determined that extreme weather events of all kinds could cost Germany almost €1,000 billion by 2050. The floods of 2021 alone caused €40 billion in damage.
Germany's political response to the climate crisis is mixed. On the one hand, Germans take environmental protection to heart. On the other, Germany remains one of Europe's industrial leaders. As such, it is by far the European country producing the mostCO2, with around 746 million tonnes in 2022, more than double that of Italy, second on the podium. But the government is determined to put an end to this dismal record, and has pledged, through the new Climate Protection Act, to reduce its emissions by 65% by 2030, compared with their 1990 level. The country is not only making this promise, but is also taking concrete action to keep it, notably by ending its heavy reliance on coal and promoting greater use of renewable energies. In 2023, renewable energies accounted for more than half of the country's annual energy consumption for the first time. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell by 10% in that year alone. Today, they are at their lowest level since the 1950s. In a forecast report published in early 2024, the Federal Environment Agency estimates that emissions will have fallen by 64% by 2030, 1% below the target. The Climate Protection Act also aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Carbon neutrality means havingCO2 emissions less than or equal to absorptions. This means not only reducing emissions, but also strengthening carbon sinks - natural areas such as forests and peat bogs, which naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
Despite these measures, Germany remains one of the biggest contributors to global warming in Europe, and is regularly called to order by environmental activists. In 2021, the German Constitutional Court issued a warning to Angela Merkel's government to improve its climate policy. Two years later, the Bund association again attacked the federal government. Efforts are being made, but there's still a long way to go before Germany is truly a climate star.
