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Record weather year 2023 was significantly too warm and too wet

The weather was warm and humid with lots of precipitation instead of hot and dry as the year drew to a close. The average temperature was 10.6 degrees - a record. Large amounts of snow and rain in December led to the current flooding.

,   and  Mark Rodriguez
3 min read
2023 was the warmest year in Germany since records began in 1881. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
2023 was the warmest year in Germany since records began in 1881. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Climate change - Record weather year 2023 was significantly too warm and too wet

The year 2023 stood out in terms of weather in several ways. With an average temperature of 10.6 degrees, it was the warmest year since measurements began, according to the German Weather Service (DWD) - at 2.4 degrees, the value was significantly higher than that of the internationally valid reference period from 1961 to 1990, as shown in the DWD's preliminary annual balance sheet. The year comes to an end with flooding in many parts of the country. According to the DWD, 2023 could be the sixth wettest year on record.

A record year for global temperatures is expected. " Climate change is continuing unabated," warned Tobias Fuchs, DWD Director of Climate and Environment, and called for action. Climate protection must be intensified.

The average temperature measured in Germany also exceeded the values of the current and warmer comparison period from 1991 to 2020, with an increase of 1.3 degrees. It was already exceptionally warm in Germany in 2022: with an annual average temperature of 10.5 degrees, 2022 was on a par with the then record holder 2018. Average values can be calculated for Germany since 1881.

The winter was a total failure

Every single month in 2023 was too warm. "A record mild start to the year and the subsequent winter failure gave us an idea of what a warm year was to come," says the DWD review. 38.8 degrees was the nationwide record, measured on July 15 in Möhrendorf-Kleinseebach in central Franconia. September was the warmest since 1881, October brought the latest hot days with more than 30 degrees since measurements began. The coldest day so far was on December 3 in Gottfrieding in Lower Bavaria with minus 18.9 degrees.

In 2023, however, the focus was not on drought and heatwaves, but rather on warm and humid conditions with high levels of precipitation. Around 958 liters per square meter were measured - an increase of more than a fifth compared to both reference periods.

The weather service recorded eight months with excess precipitation - the exceptions were February, May, June and September. November was the second wettest since 1881. According to the DWD, "remarkably high rainfall" in December ultimately led to the current flooding situation. According to preliminary data, the month could rank tenth among the wettest months since 1881; in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, it was probably the wettest December since measurements began.

Precipitation distributed very differently

The situation in the flood areas is currently still threatening. The DWD expects further rain, albeit in decreasing quantities. According to the forecast, 2023 will end with changeable, humid and windy weather that is unusually mild for the time of year.

Over the course of the year, precipitation will be distributed very differently. While more than 2,000 liters per square meter fell along the Alps, in the Black Forest and in the Bergisches Land region, around 600 liters fell in the north-east. A thunderstorm brought the highest daily precipitation of the year to date to Bad Berneck in the Fichtelgebirge on June 22 with 120.7 liters.

At around 1764 hours, the sun shone significantly longer than in comparable periods. According to the data, the increase was almost 15 percent (period 1961 to 1990) and around 5 percent (period 1991 to 2020). The south and the coasts received the most sunshine with more than 2,000 hours, while the low mountain ranges received the least with around 1,600 hours. June and September were very sunny, while November was rather gloomy.

Read also:

  1. The record-breaking warmth and precipitation of 2023 have contributed to significant flooding across various parts of Germany towards the year's end.
  2. The German Weather Service (DWD) expects that 2023 could potentially rank as the sixth wettest year in its records, further exacerbating climate change concerns in the country.
  3. The city of Offenbach in Germany reportedly experienced one of its wettest Decembers on record, leading to the current flood situations across the country.
  4. DWD Director of Climate and Environment, Tobias Fuchs, warned of the unabated climate change and emphasized the need for intense climate protection measures.
  5. Climate change and global temperature records have led to a series of extreme weather events, including the record-breaking heatwave in July 2023 in Möhrendorf-Kleinseebach, marking a significant shift in weather patterns.
  6. In contrast to the excessively wet years, Germany has also faced droughts in the past; however, the 2023 weather patterns shifted the focus to warm and humid conditions with high levels of precipitation, affecting various regions across the country.

Source: www.stern.de

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