According to final figures, the year 2023 will be the warmest since regular records began in Germany more than 140 years ago. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the average temperature was 10.6 degrees. This is 2.4 degrees more than in the reference period from 1961 to 1990 and 1.3 degrees more than in the period from 1991 to 2020. The preliminary figures published at the end of 2023 have now been confirmed.
“Even if the summer was not notable for any particular heat waves, a mild winter and a warm autumn led to this new record,” writes the DWD in its climatological review. A temperature record has also been set in almost all federal states. Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as Berlin and Brandenburg came in third place, while in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland it was the second warmest year. Globally, 2023 was also the warmest year to date.
After a series of dry years, the sixth highest amount of precipitation was measured in 2023 since regular records began in 1881, the DWD said. Above-average sunshine was also observed.