Predicted sunshine surplus during summer months - July offsets drought situation
The summer of 2025 in Germany was marked by high temperatures, abundant sunshine, and relatively low rainfall, according to data from the German Weather Service (DWD).
July, in particular, softened the drought and temperatures, providing much-needed relief during the summer months. However, the month was extremely wet, with an average of 227 liters of rain per square meter falling nationwide, which is five percent less than the long-term average.
Saarland was the sunniest federal state, with 805 hours of sunshine, and also one of the ten warmest since 1881, with an average temperature of 19.3 degrees. Baden-Württemberg, on the other hand, was the wettest federal state, with an average of 310 liters per square meter of rain.
The summer average temperature was 18.3 °C, which is 2.0 °C above the 1961-1990 reference period and 0.7 °C above 1991-2020 levels. The highest national temperature recorded during the summer was 39.3 degrees in Andernach on the Middle Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate on July 2nd.
There were "cool phases" in July, before a second heatwave in mid-August brought temperatures of up to 37 degrees. The highest national daily rainfall was recorded in Todtmoos in the Black Forest with 111.7 liters per square meter on August 20th. In the Alps, an average of 500 to 700 liters per square meter of rain fell.
Compared to the newer reference period of 1991 to 2020, the deficit is around six percent in terms of rainfall, while the average was around 720 hours of sunshine, which is 17 percent more than the target of the reference period 1961 to 1990.
June was the seventh warmest since 1881, with an average of 15.4 degrees. The lowest value recorded by DWD during the summer of 2025 was 0.6 degrees in Deutschneudorf-Brüderwiese in the Ore Mountains on August 24th.
Overall, the summer of 2025 in Germany was warm, often dry, and very sunny, with July being the only month that softened the drought and temperatures. There was often plenty of sun, especially in the southwest, with some places registering more than 800 hours of sunshine.
Compared to the current reference period of 1991 to 2020, there was a plus of 0.7 degrees in the average temperature for the summer of 2025, indicating a clear trend of rising temperatures over the years.
