Too Warm, Too Sunny: Bavaria'sApril Weather Anomaly
Unusual weather in Bavaria during April: Warm temperatures and minimal rainfall observed. - Record-breaking heatwave grips Bavaria in April, causing scarcity of rainfall.
April 2025 in Bavaria didn't just bring Easter bunnies and chocolates, it also brought a dose of unseasonable heat and scarcity of rain. According to the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach, the month was scorching hot, exceptionally sunny, and dreadfully dry, especially in southern Bavaria.
The average temperature for April 2025 was a whopping 10.4 degrees Celsius, far cry from the long-term average of 7.0 degrees. This placed April 2025 among the top ten warmest Aprils in the region since records began in 1881. The initial assessment by DWD, based on approximately 2,000 stations nationwide, revealed a significant drop in rainfall and a surplus in sunshine hours in Bavaria.
In the first week of April, the coldest phase of the month occurred, featuring light to moderate night frosts. The lowest temperature recorded in Germany during that time was a frigid -8.2 degrees Celsius in Bad Königshofen, in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld.
Upper Bavaria faced the brunt of the drought, with crumbs-worth of rain or snow compared to the long-term average. In some parts of Upper Bavaria, the relentless dry spell resulted in a measly 5 to 10 liters per square meter, while the statewide sunshine duration of around 240 hours significantly outshone the long-term average of 154 hours.
Across the country, April 2025 exhibited consistently dry, abnormally sunny, and swelteringly warm conditions, with thermometers soaring above 25 degrees Celsius, underscoring the heat anomaly. The meager rainfall in the second half of the month only temporarily alleviated the drought. However, those between the sea and the Alps were showered with sunshine, up to a record-breaking 270 hours in the far northeast.
Despite the dry spell, there was a silver lining for Bavaria, as the drought conditions started to show signs of easing slightly by the end of April or early May, with the focus shifting towards the northern and western regions. The DWD forecast also hinted at the possibility of thunderstorms brewing in southern, central, and western Germany, potentially including Bavaria, around late April.
- Bavaria
- Free State
- Offenbach
- Munich
- DWD
- Upper Bavaria
[Additional Insights]- Initially, southern Bavaria was an exception to the drought conditions afflicting much of the country until mid-April 2025.- Thunderstorms were forecast for parts of southern, central, and western Germany, including Bavaria, around late April 2025.- By the end of April or early May, the drought conditions were expected to ease slightly, with a focus shifting to northern and western parts of Germany.
- The weather anomaly in April 2025 affected Bavaria, a free state in Germany, particularly in its southern region.
- The German Weather Service (DWD) based in Offenbach reported that the month was exceptionally warm, sunny, and dry, especially in southern Bavaria.
- The DWD, with approximately 2,000 stations nationwide, revealed that Upper Bavaria faced a severe drought, receiving only crumbs-worth of rain or snow compared to the long-term average.
- In Munich, the monthly average temperature soared to 10.4 degrees Celsius, placing April 2025 among the top ten warmest Aprils in the region since records began in 1881.
- Forecasts suggested that thunderstorms could brew in southern, central, and western Germany, including Bavaria, around late April 2025, potentially easing the drought conditions that had been afflicting the region.
