Intense rainfall, fewer thunderstorm occurrences: Dramatically reduced instances of lightning
In an unusual turn of events, Germany has experienced a significant decrease in the number of lightning strikes this summer. June, typically the month with the most lightning, followed closely by July, has seen a dramatic drop in lightning activity compared to the average.
According to Meteorologist Nikolas Zimmermann from UBIMET, this summer has been marked by a lack of large-scale thunderstorm systems generating many lightning strikes in Germany. The German Weather Service corroborates this observation, reporting an average of 114 liters of rain per square meter in July, which is slightly above average but far from the amount needed to trigger intense thunderstorms.
The thunderstorm season in Germany usually spans from May to August, but this year has seen fewer lightning strikes than average. In May, Nowcast recorded 118,000 lightning discharges, which is about 45% less than the average of the past 15 years. June followed suit with a 61% decrease in lightning discharges, recording 212,000 strikes compared to the usual average.
The most lightning discharges recorded in a single day this year were on June 1, with a total of 43,000 strikes. However, in the past summer weeks, fewer lightning strikes were recorded than in many years, with 394,000 discharges reported by Nowcast.
The information service Aldis/Blids, which counts only ground lightning, reported a total of 23,986 lightning strikes in July, compared to 41,129 in the same month last year. For July, Nowcast reported that the number of lightning strikes was 63% below the average.
As of August 8, Nowcast has counted 563,000 lightning strikes this year, potentially surpassing the 2020 record of 813,000. Despite the lower number of strikes this summer, the current year's count is lower than the average of the past 15 years but is trending to surpass the 2020 record.
The significant decrease in the number of lightning strikes in Germany during the past summer is likely due to a reduction in the frequency and intensity of thunderstorms. Thunderstorms, which generate lightning, are influenced by atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and topography. Recent studies suggest that in Europe, including Germany, the severe thunderstorms that produce frequent lightning tend to cluster around mountainous regions and plains nearby. These storm patterns can be modified by local weather dynamics and possibly by climatic changes causing shifts in storm occurrence or intensity.
Though no direct report in the search results explicitly states the reason for fewer lightning strikes in Germany this summer, the background on thunderstorm behaviours and their changes with climate suggests the decline is linked to variations in thunderstorm development or a climatic anomaly reducing convective activity (which drives thunderstorms). This aligns with observed patterns where lightning frequency correlates with storm intensity and geographic factors such as orography (mountains and plains).
Additional factors such as seasonal weather variability or larger-scale atmospheric circulation patterns may have contributed, but specific data for Germany’s summer 2025 is not provided in the search results.
In short, fewer lightning strikes in Germany during the past summer probably reflect a decrease in thunderstorm activity caused by changing meteorological or climatic conditions affecting storm formation and intensity. As the summer progresses, we will continue to monitor the situation and report any significant changes or updates.
The German Weather Service anticipates a new heat wave in the coming days, which could potentially spark more thunderstorm activity. Stay tuned for further updates.
Weather forecasting indicates a potential increase in thunderstorm activity in the upcoming days due to a predicted heat wave in Germany. However, this summer has already experienced a significant decrease in the number of lightning strikes, largely due to reductions in the frequency and intensity of thunderstorms, which are influenced by atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and topography.
