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Germany sees record-breaking heat, drought, and sun in 2022

December 30, 2022

Scientists said Germany was an average of 1.7 degrees C warmer than when record-keeping began. They reiterated warnings that allowing climate change to continue unchecked would have devastating consequences.

https://p.dw.com/p/4LZzQ
Parts of the Rhine River went completely dry in the June and July drought
Parts of the Rhine River went completely dry in the June and July droughtImage: Neil King/DW

The German Weather Service (DWD) published its annual summary on Friday, confirming that 2022 will have at least tied for the hottest year on record.

Only when all the final data from every weather station in the country are collected in January, the DWD said, can the organization say if 2022 was hotter than 2018, the current record holder.

One thing was certain, however: in 2022, the country has been on average 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.06 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than it was since recordkeeping began in 1881.

"The record heart in the year 2022 should be a renewed incentive for all of us to finally move from talking to taking action on climate protection," said Tobias Fuchs, the head scientist for climate and the environment at the DWD. "So far, we have not managed to effectively put the brakes on greenhouse gases. Global warming is progressing almost entirely unchecked."

Climate and environment: Can the Earth still be saved?

More sunshine, not enough rain

2022 was also a record for the amount of sunshine in Germany. With an average of 2,025 hours, the country was one-fifth sunnier than it was in 2021. Most of the sunshine occurred in an unusually dry summer. The DWD reported that there was 15% less rainfall in 2022 than was normal from 1961-1990, the organization's usual reference period.

In general, 2022 was characterized by highly irregular weather. The dry warm months were flanked by more rainfall than usual in February and September. And after a very autumnal September came the second-warmest October on record, the hottest having come in 2001.

Scientists warn that unpredictable weather patterns brought on by climate change caused by humans will wreak havoc on agriculture and ecosystems, resulting in catastrophic consequences for humanity.

es/sms (epd, dpa, AFP)

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