According to previous data from the German Weather Service (DWD), October 2022 is at least one of the two warmest months in October since recording began.
According to the current status, the meteorologists are assuming an average value of 12.5 degrees, which corresponds to the record value from 2001. Since it is about tenths of a degree, it is still unclear whether the previous October peak value will be set or even exceeded, it said at the DWD on Monday in Offenbach. In Germany, temperatures and precipitation have been continuously recorded since 1881.
Clear indicators of climate change
“We experienced an October whose temperatures are more like May, which is typical in this country. Another look at our climate future,” said DWD press spokesman Uwe Kirsche. With an average temperature of 12.5 degrees, this year’s October is said to be 3.5 degrees above the value of the internationally valid reference period 1961 to 1990. Compared to the current and warmer period 1991 to 2020, the deviation is 3.1 degrees.
According to the DWD, the four warmest October months of the last 140 years all occurred in this millennium (2001, 2006, 2014, 2022). “The fact that the extremely warm October months are increasing is a clear indication of climate change,” said meteorologist Andreas Friedrich.
Unusually, October 2022 began comparatively cool and the highest values were not reached until the end of the month, especially in the south. The peak value was on October 28th with summery 28.7 degrees in Müllheim near Freiburg. On October 7, 2009, the highest October value since recording began was 30.9 degrees in the Baden-Württemberg town.
Temperatures keep setting new records
Karlshagen, east of Greifswald, reported the lowest value this October on October 20 with minus 2.3 degrees. “Usually, warm October values are measured at the beginning of the month,” said Friedrich. The fact that there were summer days again so late regionally – i.e. days with values over 25 degrees – is very rare.
This year’s summer was already particularly warm: with an average temperature of 19.2 degrees, it is one of the four warmest since 1881. And with almost 820 hours of sunshine, it was also the sunniest summer since 1951, i.e. since the DWD started the measure sunshine duration.
