Germany has had its sunniest summer on record, according to the country's weather service. Temperatures and lack of rainfall in 2022 were also more extreme than usual, pointing to how summers might look in the future.
Germany's summer in 2022 was hotter and sunnier than usualImage: Michael Probst/AP Photo/picture alliance
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Germany's official weather service, the DWD, on Tuesday said it had recorded 817 hours of sunshine for 2022's summer period.
The preliminary data was announced ahead of the official meteorological start of autumn, September 1.
What did the German weather service say?
Before this summer's record number of sunshine hours, the previous high was 793.3 hours, recorded in 2003.
Although the summer of 2022 would be the driest on record for some regions of Germany, this was not the case nationwide. In terms of rainfall, which has been measured since 1881, early calculations show that the summer of 2022 was the sixth driest on record.
"The summer weather, which was clearly too dry and warmer than average and rich in sunshine, caused the soil to dry out severely," the DWD said. "Summer crops such as potatoes, maize and sugar beets were particularly hard hit," the assessment said, noting that a similar pattern had been seen only four years ago, during the 2018 drought.
When it came to temperature, preliminary data showed this year's summer among the four warmest since records began more than 140 years ago.
Drought: Germany's rivers dying of thirst
Weeks without rain have led the water levels of the Rhine, Oder, Spree and other rivers to sink to record lows. It's resulted in shipping disruptions. But there are also some surprises emerging.
Image: Ying Tang/NurPhoto/IMAGO
A matter of draft
When fully loaded, the entire black part of a cargo ship's hull rests under the water. But this is currently not possible on many German rivers. Now, cargo ships may only be partially loaded. And if the load falls below a certain level, transport by ship is no longer worthwhile.
Image: Roberto Pfeil/dpa/picture alliance
No water, no cooling
The rivers are also important water sources for cooling power plants and industrial production sites, such as this Thyssen steel factory in Duisburg. If the water level drops too low, not only are larger ships unable sail, but power plants may also have to be shut down if cooling water is no longer accessible.
Image: Jochen Tack/dpa/picture alliance
A critical juncture
The scenery near Kaub is a popular photo motif on the Middle Rhine. Now, this is the most critical point along several hundred kilometers of river because it is particularly shallow. When the channel depth is less than 1.5 meters (5 feet), passage becomes dangerous. By August 15, it had fallen to 1.43 meters.
Image: Sascha Ditscher/IMAGO
Ferries also high and dry
Some ferry services as well can no longer operate, since the ferries are unable to reach landing points, such as here in Mannheim on the Upper Rhine. This has consequences for commuters, who sometimes have to plan long detours because there are no bridges nearby.
Image: René Priebe/PR-Video/picture alliance
Extra-wide beaches
The weeks-long heat has also warmed the water. Against the backdrop of Cologne Cathedral, exceptionally wide beaches have emerged for locals to enjoy. However, the authorities have been issuing urgent warnings against swimming: the current of the Rhine remains very dangerous.
Image: Christian Knieps/dpa/picture alliance
Also dry out east
Although cargo ships have been unable to sail on the upper Elbe for weeks, passenger ships — which draw much less draft — may still ply the waters in some places, such as here in Dresden.
Image: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance
First a flood, then a trickle
Just over a year ago, the Ahr River in Rhineland-Palatinate swelled into a raging torrent. Over a hundred people lost their lives on this river, and hundreds of houses were destroyed. But the Ahr has now shrunk to a mere trickle, such as here in Bad Neuenahr.
Image: Thomas Frey/dpa/picture alliance
River. Gone.
This bed of the small Dreisam river near Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg looks more like a gravel road. The Dreisam is one of the many small German rivers that have all but completely dried up.
Image: Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa/picture alliance
Trash emerging
Some people dispose of things by throwing them in the Rhine. This old bicycle went unnoticed so long as it was underwater. Will the authorities seize the opportunity to properly dispose of such garbage?
Image: Vincent Jannink/ANP/picture alliance
Traces of a tragic accident
A wreck with a tragic history is now visible on the Lower Rhine close to the Dutch border. The Elisabeth, a wooden sailed barge loaded with dynamite, sank there in March 1895. For unknown reasons, the dangerous cargo exploded, killing more than a dozen people.
Image: Vincent Jannink/ANP/picture alliance
Dangerous discoveries
Still dangerous, on the other hand, are unexploded bombs from World War II. This aerial bomb was recovered from the riverbed of the dried-up Po in northern Italy, then detonated in a controlled manner. Such bombs come to light again and again in Germany as well. Often, entire neighborhoods have to be evacuated. Possible discoveries in German rivers are now causing concern.
Image: Flavio Lo Scalzo /REUTERS
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Data came from some 2,000 weather stations across Germany. The highest temperature in 2022 was recorded at Hamburg-Neuwiedenthal on July 20 — at 40.1 degrees Celsius (104.18 degrees Fahrenheit).
"In times of climate change, we may have experienced what will soon be a typical summer," said Uwe Kirsche, a spokesman for the DWD.
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What were the regional differences?
Although it was a warm summer across Germany, there were some regional differences in terms of the problems encountered.
Also among the headline-making environmental events of the year underlined by the DWD was the appearance of harmful toxic algae in German rivers. That too has been attributed by scientists to low water levels and linked to mass fish die-offs.
In contrast, the DWD pointed out, there had been heavy rain in parts of the southern state of Bavaria, where drains and dry earth were unable to cope with the sudden precipitation.
July 2021 saw devastating floods in western Germany and Belgium, with more than 230 people losing their lives in those countries.
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