Balmy Berlin

Comparing weather data from the last century, folks at the German Weather Service (DWD) came up with a startling revelation: At 9.1 degrees Centigrade (48.4 degrees Fahrenheit), Berlin's average temperature is the highest of any German federal state.

The capital's also doing well in terms of sunshine: While the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania gets the most sun with 1648 hours on average, Berlin's sun lovers can enjoy 1634 hours on average per year. North-Rhine Westphalia in western Germany -- often perceived as one of the warmer areas of the country -- has to make do with just 1448 hours of sun.

Precipitation levels in Berlin are among the lowest as well. The city only gets 573 liters (151.4 gallons) of rain per square meter (10.8 square feet) per year. Only the eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg are a bit drier, according to DWD officials. The wettest region is the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg with 944 liters.

Bavarians, who have long believed themselves to live in the German equivalent of California, will be disappointed by the report: The southern state is actually the coldest in the country, with an average temperature of 7.5 degrees Centigrade.

Granted, Berlin's new claim to fame might have something to do with the fact that it is a city state and largely consists of urban areas that heat up quickly in the summer while Bavaria's mountainous regions might bring average temperatures down a notch or two.

But a DWD spokesman told DW-WORLD that Berliners should just stop complaining and enjoy, well, the weather. "Those summer months can be quite sizzling," he said.

And there's only a good six months of cold weather to survive until the next hot summer comes around.