The year 2020 is one of the warmest on record. According to preliminary calculations by the German Weather Service (DWD), it could be in second place behind the record year 2018 as the mean temperature 10, was 5 degrees. This Wednesday, the DWD in Offenbach will present its annual balance sheet. It was already clear beforehand: 2020 is the tenth year in a row in which the average temperature exceeded the long-term mean.

One of the warmest years A trend continues: The three warmest years in Germany so far are close together, 2018, 2014 and 2019. Nine of the ten warmest years so far in Germany were within the last 20 years. Global warming is in the fast lane, explained the DWD.

In addition, 2020 drought and drought are causing problems for forests and agriculture. In the spring in particular, there was no rainfall and regionally, the soil was dust-dry until summer. According to the weather service, only about half of the usual amount of rain fell between March and May on a Germany-wide average. The west and east of Germany in particular suffered from drought. Forest fires were also among the consequences.

The DWD already rated last winter as “extremely mild” and as the second warmest since records began in the year 1881 – there was no trace of ice and snow in many places in Germany. The spring was very sunny and too warm, especially April.

Precipitation very unevenly distributed The summer was changeable, but still exceeded the temperature values ​​of the long-term mean. The precipitation target was almost reached, but the rain was distributed very unevenly regionally. It was especially hot in August – the drought reached its peak here. Heavy rain caused flooding because the parched ground could hardly absorb the water. According to the DWD’s balance sheet, autumn was the fourth warmest ever, and it was too dry. A lot of sun made November too warm, it rained too little.

The trend is also evident internationally: the World Weather Organization (WMO) was one of the three warmest in its first assessment at the beginning of December Years since temperature records began in mid-19. Century. The record year has been here so far 2016, with an annual average plus of 1.2 degrees. For Europe, the average temperature in the first ten months was even higher than ever before. The corona pandemic should not be an excuse to slacken the climate effort, warned the WMO.

(mho)