Sizzling Heat Hits Germany, but Drought Concerns Loom as Rainfall Remains Elusive
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Weather is becoming sunny and arid.
While temperatures are set to rise, hitting a high of 25 degrees in some regions beginning Saturday, ntv meteorologist Carlo Pfaff warns that this increase in warmth also brings doubts. The uncharacteristic early arrival of the Ice Saints has kept a cold grip on Germany, causing frost or ground frost in some regions at night. In the coming nights, these conditions may still prevail in clear conditions and in the valleys of the mid-mountain ranges.
ntv.de: With the sensational start to May, the Ice Saints arrived much too early. Will the sun and warmth return soon?
Despite the cold air intrusion at the beginning of the week, the high-pressure influence will strengthen by Sunday, causing the air to noticeably warm up. On Saturday, only a few clouds will pass through the east, with the sun shining more in regions south of the Danube. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has been without sunshine this week, but by Sunday, there will be abundant sunshine throughout the country, with between 10 hours in the Ore Mountains and up to 15 hours from the North Sea to the Black Forest.
How high will the mercury rise?
Temperatures will rise to 17 to 23 degrees across the country, with up to 25 degrees expected in the Upper Rhine, Rhineland, and Ruhr region on Sunday. It will remain coolest directly on the Baltic Sea with 15 degrees.
Will the warmth bring relief from the prolonged drought?
While the sun may certainly prove welcome, the ongoing lack of precipitation remains cause for concern. Since the beginning of the meteorological spring on March 1, Germany has only collected 58 liters of rain per square meter, indicating a persistently low rainfall amount. This trend has resulted in increased concerns about forest fire danger and grass pollen burden. However, the most significant issue is the alarmingly low national average rainfall for the specified period—the driest since records began in 1931.
Could this be the driest spring on record?
Given that major rainfall is not expected for the next ten days, it's highly likely that this spring could break records for dryness. Meaningful rainfall would need to soak the country in the last days of May, with over 25 liters per square meter nationally. Such rainfall seems unlikely, as past winters with similar levels of dryness have not seen significant rainfall until later in spring.
The drastic difference in rainfall between regions is remarkable: while parts of southern Europe have experienced unprecedented rainfall, regions north of the Alps have barely seen any. For example, Ascona in Switzerland's southern canton of Ticino has received over 600 liters of rain per square meter since March 1st, which is significantly more than Berlin's average annual rainfall.
Source: ntv.de
- Weather
- Extreme weather
- Drought
- Water supply
[1] "Very worrying sign" April temperature: Global warming continues to rise sharply, ntv.de, May 5, 2025. [2] Panorama: Especially the elderly affected RKI: Approximately 2,800 heat deaths in Germany last year, ntv.de, May 5, 2025. [3] Drought has been a recurring theme in recent weeks, Deutsche Welle, May 5, 2025.
- The sudden rise in temperatures, despite the ongoing drought, raises concerns about the water supply and potential extreme weather events in the future.
- In contrast to parts of southern Europe, regions north of the Alps, such as Germany, have experienced extraordinarily low rainfall, posing challenges for not only the weather forecasting but also the environmental-science community studying climate-change impacts.
- The weather forecast predicts that the heatwave will persist in the Balkans, potentially leading to an increased danger of forest fires and aggravating the ongoing water shortage in the International community.
- Interestingly, while 1893 was a year of extreme weather and drought in Germany, the current situation is even more severe, with the nation currently having the worst rainfall deficit since records began in climate-change studies.
- Despite the brief respite from the cold air intrusion, the ongoing lack of precipitation signals that the science community must continue to brilliantly explore new methods for weather-forecasting and managing water resources in such extreme weather scenarios.
