Weather
Warmest March since measurements began follows warmest February
Overall, according to the German Weather Service, there was significantly too little rain in March. photo
© Annette Riedl/dpa
The warmest February since measurements began in 1881 was also followed by the warmest March in Germany. The month was very sunny and significantly too dry.
Compared to the current and warmer comparison period from 1991 to 2020, the increase was 2.9 degrees. This also significantly exceeded the previous record from 2017 (7.2 degrees). According to the DWD, the last time there were two consecutive monthly records was in 2018, in April and May.
The DWD recorded the national low on March 19th in Hoyerswerda, Saxony, at minus 7.3 degrees. “The neighboring Lower Lusatia, on the other hand, experienced almost summer temperatures on the 30th,” it said. Cottbus and Klitzschen near Torgau in northern Saxony reported the nationwide high of 24.9 degrees.
120 hours of sunshine
Overall, according to the weather service, there was significantly too little rain in March. The DWD registered around 46 liters per square meter, which is only around 80 percent of the reference periods from 1961 to 1990 and from 1991 to 2020 (57 liters each). It was particularly dry in the lee of the eastern low mountain ranges and Western Pomerania. In some places the DWD measured less than 10 liters per square meter. The highest daily amount came on March 12th at the Baiersbronn-Ruhestein station in the Black Forest with 57.8 liters.
With a sunshine duration of 120 hours, March was sunnier than in the comparable period from 1961 to 1990 with 111 hours. However, compared to the period 1991 to 2020 (127 hours), the DWD registered a slight decrease. The federal capital Berlin was the sunniest with 121 hours of sunshine.