July's Climate Unusual: Was It Typical or Unusual? - Extreme temperatures and humidity dominated July's weather - was it typical?
In July 2025, Germany witnessed a series of extreme weather events, with the month characterized by significant fluctuations in temperature and precipitation.
The month began with temperatures reaching up to 30 degrees Celsius, but a sudden drop of ten to fifteen degrees towards the middle of the month made it feel more like April than high summer. This unusual temperature shift was followed by heavy thunderstorms and heavy rain, which continued throughout the second half of July.
Bavaria saw a 30 percent increase in precipitation, with Hamburg being the record holder among federal states, receiving 155 liters of rain in July. In contrast, the average precipitation throughout Germany in July 2025 was 114 liters per square meter, which is more than a third less than the comparison period of 1961 to 1990. The precipitation was distributed very differently regionally, with the northeast and parts of Bavaria experiencing a lot of precipitation and heavy rain. Eastern Germany, particularly Brandenburg, benefited from the heavy rain showers as they helped extinguish forest fires.
At the Alpine foothills, over 450 liters per square meter of precipitation fell, while some areas in the north experienced up to 200 liters per square meter. The interplay of heat and heavy rain can be a problem, especially when the soil is dry or sealed and cannot absorb the falling water masses, potentially leading to flooding.
Meteorologists had to issue a wide range of warnings due to the extremes experienced in July 2025. These included thunderstorm and heavy rain warnings, as well as storm and snowfall warnings. July 2025 temperatures in Germany, measured since 1991, were "absolutely average" at 18.4 degrees Celsius, but compared to the reference period of 1961 to 1990, July 2025 was 1.5 degrees too warm throughout Germany.
Climate change is predicted to lead to an increase in extreme weather events such as prolonged dry spells and storms like thunderstorms and heavy rain. As climate change progresses, these weather events become increasingly extreme. The persistence of extreme heat and floods in July 2025 illustrates that climate change effects remain significant in Europe, including Germany.
Heatwaves have become more frequent and severe, with July often experiencing record-breaking high temperatures. Europe, including Germany, is among the fastest-warming continents, with recent years showing unprecedented heat waves causing increased heat-related illnesses and deaths. Climate change also increases the risk of heavy precipitation because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, leading to stronger storms and floods.
The combination of higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns also leads to drier soils and higher fire risks, influencing local weather dynamics around July. Although July 2025 was the third hottest on record globally—slightly cooler than the previous two years—these extreme weather events highlight the ongoing impact of climate change on Germany's weather patterns.
In summary, climate change in Germany results in July weather marked by more frequent heatwaves, heavier rains, and thunderstorms, posing increasing risks to health, infrastructure, and ecosystems.
Community policy should address the impacts of climate change on employment, particularly in the environmental science field, as the increase in extreme weather events like the one experienced in July 2025 could create new job opportunities for meteorologists, climatologists, and disaster response personnel.
The environmental-science community policy and employment policy should collaborate to educate and prepare the workforce for the anticipated effects of climate change, such as increased occurrences of extreme weather events like thunderstorms, heavy rain, and potential flooding, as demonstrated by the July 2025 events in Germany.
