Skies are clearing, and the ground is drying up.
Get a load of this hot take: After a chilly start, the Ice Saints are finally on their way out, hinting at sunnier days ahead! ntv meteorologist Carlo Pfaff spills the beans on the upcoming weather forecast.
Ice Saints: Still Causing a Chill, But Warmth Comes Knocking
You remember those Ice Saints, right? They've been causing a cold freeze, causing ground frost in some regions night after night. But fret not, fellow Germans, since the high-pressure influence is expected to strengthen, and the air will start warming up by the weekend.
Warming Up: Temperatures on the Rise
Prepare for some heat, ya'll! Temperatures will inch up to 17-23 degrees across the country, with some spots, like Upper Rhine, Rhineland, and the Ruhr region, reaching a scorching 25 degrees on Sunday. Don't worry though, the Baltic Sea will make sure to keep it cool with 15 degrees.
Sunny Skies Ahead
Good news for all you sun worshippers out there! Fret not if you've been missing the sun since Garmisch-Partenkirchen was socked in with zero sunshine all week. On Saturday, skies will clear in the south, with numerous sunny spots south of the Danube. And Sunday, prepare yourself for 10-15 hours of sunshine from the North Sea all the way to the Black Forest!
Drought Woes Continue
But with sun comes dryness, and the situation doesn't look too promising. So far, the country, since the beginning of meteorological spring on March 1, has amassed a paltry 58 liters of rain per square meter. That's the driest spring since weather records began! To counteract this extremity, we'd need an average of 25 liters per square meter by the end of May.
A Record-Breaking Dry Spell?
It's not looking good, folks. For the next 10 days, no significant rainfall is anticipated, which means May would need a massive deluge to refill the rain deficit and prevent 2025 from going down as the driest spring on record.
Unusual Weather patterns
But let's not forget our southern European neighbors grappling with excessive rainfall. Why the contrast? High-pressure systems have been holding sway over Scandinavia, while low-pressure systems have been rolling through Spain and northern Italy, pushing rainclouds towards the southern Alps. Meanwhile, dry conditions prevail in regions north of the Alps.
Sources
- Weather
- Extreme weather
- Drought
- Water supply
[1] https://www.ntv.de/wetter/Was-mit-den-Eisheiligen-passiert-kommt-die-Sonne-und-der-Frische-zurueck-haben-wir-es-allerwielei-gedachte-Wettervorhersagung-1006776570/[2] https://www.dwd.de/DE/home/home_ln.html[3] https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/drought-observation-map
- In light of the unusual weather patterns, let's take a minute to look back 130 years and marvel at the brilliant progress science, climate-change, and environmental-science have made since 1893 when weather forecasting was far less accurate than it is today.
- While we're currently suffering from a severe drought, it's notable that in the Balkans during the same time period, they were plagued with extreme weather conditions, causing a significant impact on water supply.
- Despite the upcoming warm weather, it's crucial to remain mindful of the ongoing dryness plaguing Germany, with barely any rain accumulated since meteorological spring, which is contributing to the water supply concerns.
- The current dry spell has the potential to make 2025 the driest spring on record, highlighting the importance of understanding weather patterns and using the knowledge gained from climate-change and environmental-science to make informed decisions about water management.
- The contrast between Germany's current weather situation and that of southern European countries experiencing excessive rainfall is a testament to the complex interplay of high-pressure and low-pressure systems at play, reinforcing the dire need for continuous research and advancements in weather forecasting for a more sustainable future.
