2018 was another year of extreme weather: The temperatures were above average, the sun seemed more than ever previously measured, ten of the twelve months were too dry. The German weather service (DWD) has announced at its annual press conference on the climate in Germany.
Thus fell in the past year, from February to November, the less rain in these months is common. A total rainfall of 586 litres per square metre had been measured in the surface of the medium 200 litres less than in many years average. Since 1881, when these data were collected for the first Time, was only three years of dry, it said. The Lack of rain led to drought, according to the national weather service in large Parts of the country: In many regions, the Grass had dried up in the pastures, nationwide have always burned forests and fields.
temperatures reached the DWD reported record levels: the average temperature in Germany was, therefore, of 10.5 degrees Celsius – 2018 was the warmest year since the beginning of the temperature records of the national weather service. Detect a rise in temperatures of 1.5 degrees since 1881 let. Also, the number of so-called hot days with air temperatures of 30 degrees and more have reached in the past year, with 20 such days, a new record. It’s a similar standing to the number of sun hours: 2.015 hours of sun in 2018 was the sunniest year since the beginning of these records in 1951.
extreme weather events are always more likely to
A direct consequence of the lack of precipitation and high temperatures, according to the DWD in agriculture: The harvest of grain and field the most unusual fruits in 2018, significantly lower. Whether fields can be used, depends on the so-called soil water storage. This value was decreased until September to only 30 percent of the full capacity. The forestry will be affected by the lack of water significantly.
So that Farmers and peasants have a possibility for the future, to periods of Drought and to prepare, the weather service a new method for long-term forecasts: For the improved forecasts, the soil will be measured moisture, so the proportion of water that is stored in the earth. Using the new method, farmers need to be with several weeks notice of impending droughts informed. “With today’s forecasting techniques, the DWD would be able to say drought in June 2018 in large Parts of Germany, lasting six weeks in advance with good quality before,” said the Vice-President of the German weather service, Paul Becker.
According to the weather service, the exceptional drought of last year will remain not a single event: “Such extreme weather with climate change increasingly likely. We must, in future, more frequent, if not regular intervals, with drought in Germany expect,” said Becker.
