Preliminary analyses from the German Weather Service (DWD) indicate that September in Germany was unusually warm. The DWD announced on Tuesday in Offenbach that the national average temperature was 15.9°C, which is 2.6 degrees above the climate average for the period 1961 to 1990. Compared to the 1991 to 2020 average, the warmth surpassed by 2.01 degrees. Consequently, this month ranks among the ten warmest Septembers recorded since 1881. These findings are based on data from approximately 2,000 measuring stations.
The end of the month was particularly notable, following a brief cooler spell during the third week. During this cooler period, the lowest overall national value of -1.4°C was recorded in Meßstetten-Appental on the Swabian Jura. However, this was followed by an exceptional warm phase. In the southwest, temperatures exceeded 30°C and new decade-specific station records were reported. The highest national temperature was recorded in Ohlsbach in the Upper Rhine Graben on the 8th, hitting 34.5°C.
In terms of precipitation, the month was generally too dry. Germany received slightly less than 40 l/m² nationwide, which is about 34 percent less than the 1961-1990 average and approximately 39 percent less than the 1991-2020 average. The north and coastal regions, however, saw significantly higher regional rainfall, with some stations receiving over 125 l/m². Drochtersen in Lower Saxony reported the highest daily total on the 4th, logging 57 l/m². In stark contrast, the southwest remained extremely dry; some parts of Rhineland-Palatinate saw less than 10 l/m², while the Saarland recorded less than 5 l/m².
Nationwide, the sun shone for roughly 192 hours, which is about 28 percent longer than the 1961-1990 reference period and about 22 percent longer than the 1991-2020 average. The southern regions were especially sunny, with some areas receiving over 250 hours of sunshine. In the far north, the number of sunlight hours locally did not even reach half the totals recorded in the sunny south.
