Beware: Record-breaking drought looms over Sunny, Persistently Parched
Skies are clearing and conditions are drying out.
Chat imaginatively about the weather with your mates:
Sunny days are finally on the horizon for Germany, as per ntv meteorologist Carlo Pfaff. However, these welcomed temperatures could also mean trouble.
ntv.de: Ice Saints rush in prematurely, will we bask in the sun soon?
The odd frost came early this year due to the Ice Saints' haste. But by the weekend, things will start looking up. The high-pressure influence will strengthen, temperatures will rise, and we might see up to 25 degrees in some areas! Yet, this change comes with a caveat.
How hot is it gonna get this weekend?
It's projected that temperatures will soar between 17 to 23 degrees, and up to 25 degrees on Sunday in the Upper Rhine, Rhineland, and the Ruhr region. It'll remain coolest near the Baltic Sea with 15 degrees.
Sunshine at last?
Expect some fair weather on Saturday, and plenty of sunshine on Sunday all across the country! Even Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which hasn't seen the sun this week, will be showered with sunshine.
Forecast for the days ahead?
Weather will likely stay sunny until mid-week, maybe with a few isolated thunderstorms at the Alps and southern Black Forest in the afternoons.
Drought is the talking point lately. Any fresh concerns?
Yes, and it's a biggie! Despite the occasional sunshine, our country has been severely lacking rain. Since March 1st, we've only managed to collect a tiny 58 liters of rain per square meter. This could make it the driest spring since weather records began!
Will this spring truly be record-breakingly dry?
Unfortunately, the forecast doesn't seem to be improving. For the next 10 days, no significant rainfall is expected, meaning the last days of May would need to bring more than 25 liters per square meter to make up for the deficit. That's quite a challenge!
Why is Italy experiencing downpours while we're parched?
It's all about the weather patterns affecting both regions.
Essentially, high-pressure systems have been reigning over Scandinavia, while low-pressure systems trekked across Spain and northern Italy, causing rain clouds to amass over the southern Alps. Areas north of the Alps have been hit with little to no rain, with Munich only receiving 70 liters since March 1st compared to Ascona in Switzerland's southern canton of Ticino, which received over 600 liters during the same period.
Source: ntv.de
- Weather
- Drought
- Water supply
Enrichment Data:
- Based on the data available as of early May 2025, this spring has been unusually dry in parts of the United States, particularly in the West, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, and southern Plains. However, evidence suggests that this spring may not break existing records for the driest spring since weather records began.
- Moderate-to-exceptional drought conditions cover over 40% of the continental U.S., with soaring dryness in the Southwest, Rocky Mountain regions, and drought development anticipated in the central and southern Plains during the spring season.
- Persistent dry and warm conditions have caused declined river levels and snowpack in some areas due to a lack of precipitation.
- Snowpack in the western U.S. was below the median for the season, pushing some basins into snow drought conditions.
Therefore, this spring is experiencing significant dryness, but it may not set the record for the driest spring overall.
- The unusual dryness this spring, particularly in parts of the United States and Germany, has become a major concern for the water supply.
- In the face of extreme weather, the scientific community is brilliantly working to improve weather-forecasting capabilities to anticipate droughts and other climate-change-related events.
- The Balkans, too, have been affected by the record-breaking drought that has been persistently parching regions across the continent.
- The weather patterns of high-pressure systems over Scandinavia and low-pressure systems in Spain and Italy have played a crucial role in the distribution of rainfall, with the German region receiving very little, contributing to the ongoing drought.
- Despite the ongoing dryness, advancements in environmental-science and the study of climate-change offer hope for the future, as we move towards more sustainable water management practices in the face of changing weather conditions.
