Based on current monthly figures, on average, German climate has gotten a bit warmer. The average temperature for January 2025 was recorded at around 2 degrees Celsius, compared to 1.5 degrees a year before. In the broader context of climate change, average monthly temperatures are indicative of where the national climate is headed and whether attempts to control global warming are successful. Summer and winter Average summer temperature in Germany fluctuated in recent years, generally between 18 to 19 degrees Celsius. The season remains generally warm, and while there may not be as many hot and sunny days as in other parts of Europe, heat waves have occurred. In fact, 2023 saw 11.5 days with a temperature of at least 30 degrees, though this was a decrease compared to the year before. Meanwhile, average winter temperatures also fluctuated, but were higher in recent years, rising over four degrees on average in 2024. Figures remained in the above zero range since 2011. Numbers therefore suggest that German winters are becoming warmer, even if individual regions experiencing colder sub-zero snaps or even more snowfall may disagree. Rain, rain, go away Average monthly precipitation varied depending on the season, though sometimes figures from different times of the year were comparable. In 2024, the average monthly precipitation was highest in May and September, although rainfalls might increase in October and November with the beginning of the cold season. In the past, torrential rains have led to catastrophic flooding in Germany, with one of the most devastating being the flood of July 2021. Germany is not immune to the weather changing between two extremes, e.g. very warm spring months mostly without rain, when rain might be wished for, and then increased precipitation in other months where dry weather might be better, for example during planting and harvest seasons. Climate change remains on the agenda in all its far-reaching ways.

In 2024, the average summer temperature in Germany was 18.5 degrees Celsius. This was basically unchanged compared to the year before. While figures fluctuated during the given timeline, there were regular peaks, and in general, temperatures had grown noticeably since the 1960s. Not beating the heat German summers are getting hotter, and as desired as warm weather may be after months of winter (which, incidentally, also warms up year after year), this is another confirmation of global warming. Higher summer temperatures have various negative effects on both nature and humans. Recent years in Germany have seen a growing number of hot days with a temperature of at least 30 degrees, with 11.5 recorded in 2023. However, this was a decrease compared to the year before. The number of deaths due to heat and sunlight had peaked in 2015. Rain or shine All the German states saw less sunshine hours in 2023 compared to the previous year. The sunniest states were Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saarland. Meanwhile, summer precipitation in Germany varied greatly during the same timeline as presented in this graph, but 2022 was one of the dryest years yet.

In 2024, Germany recorded a mean temperature of 10.9 degrees Celsius. This was practically unchanged compared to the year before. Figures fluctuated during the timeline presented, but have grown compared to the 1960s and 70s.

Temperature in Germany increased to 10.88 celsius in 2023 from 10.78 celsius in 2022. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Germany Average Temperature.

This data shows the average temperature in Germany 2024, by federal state. That year, the average temperature in the city-state Berlin was 11.9 degrees Celsius.

In 2023/2024, the average winter temperature in Germany was 4.1 degrees Celsius. That winter was part of a growing list of warmer winters in the country. Figures had increased noticeably compared to the 1960s.

Warmer in the winter

Everyone has a different perception of what actually makes a cold or warm winter, but the fact is that winter temperatures are, indeed, changing in Germany, and its 16 federal states are feeling it. Also in 2022/2023, Bremen and Hamburg in the north recorded the highest average figures at around 4 degrees each. The least warm states that year, so to speak, were Thuringia, Saxony, and Bavaria. The German National Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst or DWD), a federal office, monitors the weather in Germany.

Global warming

Rising temperatures are a global concern, with climate change making itself known. While these developments may be influenced by natural events, human industrial activity has been another significant contributor for centuries now. Greenhouse gas emissions play a leading part in global warming. This leads to warmer seasons year-round and summer heat waves, as greenhouse gas emissions cause solar heat to remain in the Earth’s atmosphere. In fact, as of 2022, Germany recorded 17.3 days with a temperature of at least 30 degrees Celcius, which was more than three times the increase compared to 2021.

Average temperature since 1881 in Germany, time series for areal means for federal states and combinations of federal states.

In January 2025, the average temperature in Berlin was 2.8 degrees Celsius, this was lower than in December 2024. However, it was a significant increase in temperature compared to the January a year ago.

Average temperature since 1881 in Germany, time series for regional funds for federal states and combinations of federal states.

In 2024, the average autumn temperature in Germany was 10.5 degrees Celsius. This was a decrease from the previous year, when the average temperature in autumn was around 11.5 degrees Celsius. This statistic shows the average autumn temperature in Germany from 1960 to 2024.

Daily data averaged across Germany for the period of 2016-01-01 till 2021-06-27:

temperature_mean: mean daily temperature in degree Celsius averaged across all weather stations in Germany.

temperature_max: maximum daily temperature in degree Celsius averaged across all weather stations in Germany.

precipitation: daily precipitation sum in millimeter (equals liter per square meter) averaged across all weather stations in Germany.

sunshine: sunshine duration per day averaged across all weather stations in Germany.

gemittelte Werte basierende auf Daten des Deutschen Wetterdiensts, Vermessungsverwaltungen der Länder und BKG (https://gdz.bkg.bund.de/)

In 2024, the average spring temperature in Germany was measured at 10.8 degrees Celsius. This shows an increase of more than two degrees Celsius compared to 2023 and the highest average spring temperature since 1960.

Test Reference Years (TRY) for 15 typical regions in germany with special regards on realisitc radiation data on a 1min timescale

Summary:

The data set contains the updated test reference years (TRY) of the German Weather Service (DWD). By subdividing into 15 TRY regions, each postcode area can be assigned a representative weather data set. It should be emphasized that in addition to a mean, current test reference year for a region, there is also a year with extreme summer and extreme winter weather. To take climate change into account, there is then a time series for the year 2045 for each test reference year based on the IPCC climate models. This means that a total of 90 weather data sets are available with a one-hour time resolution.

In order to use the data in simulations with a temporal resolution of 1min or 15min, the data set was extended by linear interpolation. While this approach is justifiable for air pressure and temperature, for example, it does not depict high fluctuations in solar radiation. Therefore, based on the one-minute open data measurement data set of the Baseline Surface Radiation Network, with an algorithm by Hofmann et. al. the time series of global radiation are newly generated for all test reference years. Another algorithm by Hofmann et. al. was used to calculate the corresponding diffuse radiation times series.

Sources:

• Raw data from DWD: https://kunden.dwd.de/obt/ -> 1_raw-data
• Synthetic 1min radiation data: http://pvmodelling.org/ -> 2_synthetic-radiation

How to use or recreate the final dataset:

1. clone/download this repository
2. unzip the files from the data.zip file
   1. https://github.com/RE-Lab-Projects/TRY_DE_2015_2045/releases/download/v1.4.0/data.zip
3. Use or recreate the final dataset
   1. use: Final datasets are then located in -> 3_processed-data
   2. recreate: run the process-data.py

Test reference stations / regions

No. | lon | lat | station | region

1 | 53.5591 | 8.5872 | Bremerhaven | Nordseeküste

2 | 54.0878 | 12.1088 | Rostock | Ostseeküste

3 | 53.5299 | 10.0078 | Hamburg | Nordwestdeutsches Tiefland

4 | 52.3938 | 13.0651 | Potsdam | Nordostdeutsches Tiefland

5 | 51.4562 | 7.0568 | Essen | Niederrheinisch-westfälische Bucht und Emsland

6 | 550.6461 | 7.9426 | Bad Marienburg | Nördliche und westliche Mittelgebirge, Randgebiete

7 | 51.3334 | 9.4725 | Kassel | Nördliche und westliche Mittelgebirge, zentrale Bereiche

8 | 51.7239 | 10.6069 | Braunlage | Oberharz und Schwarzwald (mittlere Lagen)

9 | 50.8233 | 12.9181 | Chemnitz | Thüringer Becken und Sächsisches Hügelland

10 | 50.3226 | 11.9124 | Hof | Südöstliche Mittelgebirge bis 1000 m

11 | 50.4312 | 12.9522 | Fichtelberg | Erzgebirge, Böhmer- und Schwarzwald oberhalb 1000 m

12 | 49.4902 | 8.4637 | Mannheim | Oberrheingraben und unteres Neckartal

13 | 48.2432 | 12.5286 | Mühldorf | Schwäbisch-fränkisches Stufenland und Alpenvorland

14 | 48.6536 | 9.8666 | Stötten | Schwäbische Alb und Baar

15 | 47.4945 | 11.1046 | Garmisch Partenkirchen | Alpenrand und -täler

Content

• files: 90 test reference years (TRY)

15 test reference regions
x 3 reference conditions (average year, extreme summer, extreme winter)
x 2 reference projections (year 2015 and year 2045)

• columns per file:

datetime [yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss+01:00/02:00]
temperature [degC]
pressure [hPa]
wind direction [deg]
wind speed [m/s]
cloud coverage [1/8]
humidity [%]
direct irradiance [W/m^2]
diffuse irradiance [W/m^2]
synthetic global irradiance [W/m^2]
synthetic diffuse irradiance [W/m^2]
clear sky irradiance [W/m^2]

• length: 1 year
• time increment: 60s / 900s / 3600s

Important hints:

• all files in 3_processed-data were calculated with the skript process-data.py
• A value with, for example, a timestamp 12:00:00 represents the mean value from this timestamp until the following timestamp.
• datetime column is in CET / CEST

The grids were derived from data from the DWD stations and qualitatively equivalent partner network stations in Germany, taking into account the altitude dependencies. pdf

This statistic displays the average maximum monthly temperature in Germany over the past 20 years. It shows that over the past twenty years the month with the highest average maximum temperature has been July, with an average temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius. On average, January has been the coldest month.

The historical monthly degree days are calculated from publicly available station data from the DWD Climate Data Center (CDC). The monthly degree days according to VDI 3807 are the sums of the degree days over a calendar month. The degree days refer to a room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Degree days are calculated as the temperature difference between room temperature and the daily mean temperature (degrees Celsius). Only the days are counted when the daily average outside temperature is less than 15 degrees Celsius (heating day).
Further information: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/derived_germany/techn/monthly/heating_degreedays /hdd_3807/historical/BESCHREIBUNG_derivgermany_techn_monthly_heating_degreedays_hdd_3807_historical_de.pdf

Heating Degree Days data was reported at 5,362.530 Degrees Celsius in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5,499.780 Degrees Celsius for 2019. Heating Degree Days data is updated yearly, averaging 6,221.490 Degrees Celsius from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2020, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,395.710 Degrees Celsius in 1996 and a record low of 5,320.830 Degrees Celsius in 2014. Heating Degree Days data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Environmental: Climate Risk. A heating degree day (HDD) is a measurement designed to track energy use. It is the number of degrees that a day's average temperature is below 18°C (65°F). Daily degree days are accumulated to obtain annual values.;World Bank, Climate Change Knowledge Portal. https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org;;

Quality controlled and gap-filled continuous air temperature data from the urban weather station at Freiburg-Werthmannstrasse (FRWRTM, 7.8447ºE, 47.9928, 277 m) using a passively ventilated and shielded temperature and humidity probe (Campbell Scientific Inc., CS 215) operated in a Stevenson Screen 2m above ground level in the vegetated backyard of Werthmannstrasse 10, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

• Quality controlled in-canopy air temperature data are available and aggregated at 10min, 30min, hourly, daily, monthly and yearly resolution for the year 2024.
• Average, minimum and maximum in-canopy air temperatures are provided on hourly, daily, monthly and annual scales.
• Characteristic hours and days are reported on daily, monthly and annual scales (e.g. summer days with T_max > 25ºC, hot days with T_max > 30º, desert days with T_max > 35ºC, tropical nights with T_min > 20°, frost days with T_min < 0ºC and ice days with T_max < 0ºC, all based on 00:00 - 24:00 UTC).
• Detailed information on gap-filled data is provided.
• Note: All times are provided in UTC, not local time.

For more details read `FRWRTM_2024_AirTemperature_MetaData.txt`.

The rainfall data inter-comparison dataset is a collection of precipitation statistics calculated from the hourly nationwide German radar climatology (RADKLIM) and radar online adjustment (RADOLAN) composites provided by the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD), which were combined with rainfall statistics derived from rain gauge data for inter-comparison. Moreover, additional information on parameters that can potentially influence radar data quality, such as the height above sea level, information on wind energy plants and the distance to the next radar station, were included in the dataset.

The dataset consists of two point shapefiles which are readable with all common GIS. It constitutes a spatially highly resolved rainfall statistics geodataset for the period 2006 - 2017, which can be used for statistical rainfall analyses or for the derivation of model inputs. Furthermore, this data collection has the potential to benefit all users who intend to use precipitation data for any purpose in Germany and to identify the rainfall dataset that is best suited for their application by a straightforward comparison of three rainfall datasets without any tedious data processing and georeferencing.

• Spatial extent: Germany
• Spatial Resolution: 1 x 1 km
• Time period: 2006 - 2017
• Data Format: Two point shapefiles
• Compared precipitation datasets: RADKLIM, RADOLAN, rain gauge data
• Selection of calculated precipitation statistics:
  • Annual precipitation sum
  • Mean annual precipitation sum
  • Mean seasonal precipitation sums
  • Number of days exceeding a daily precipitation of 1 mm
  • Number of days exceeding a daily precipitation of 20 mm
  • Mean daily precipitation sum of all days exceeding a precipitation sum of 1 mm
  • Mean daily precipitation sum of all days exceeding a precipitation sum of 20 mm
  • Number of NoData entries

An Excel file with detailed information on all parameters and on original data sources is also included in the dataset.

Original data source URLs:

• RADKLIM (DWD): https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/grids_germany/hourly/radolan/reproc/2017_002/bin/
• RADOLAN (DWD): ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/grids_germany/hourly/radolan/historical/bin/
• Rain Gauge Data (DWD): https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_ germany/climate/1_minute/precipitation/
• Location of wind energy plants (UFZ): https://www.ufz.de/record/dmp/archive/5467/de/
• SRTM DEM (DLR): https://geoservice.dlr.de/egp/

Gridded data of daily mean temperature with 5 km horizontal resolution covering river basins of Germany and neighbouring countries from 1951 until 2006 provided by the hydrometeorology of Deutscher Wetterdienst. More details about the data set can be found in Frick et al. 2014, MetZ For data requests please send an e-mail to hydromet@dwd.de