Mainz / Offenbach (dpa / lrs) – According to the German Weather Service (DWD), Rhineland-Palatinate has experienced the warmest year since records began in 2020. According to preliminary DWD calculations, the average temperature in the country of 10.9 degrees was not only well above the long-term average of 8.6 degrees, but also above the value of 10.8 degrees measured in the previous record summer of 2018.
A spokeswoman for the DWD said on Wednesday upon request. The highest annual temperature in Rhineland-Palatinate was measured on August 9th on the Petrisberg near Trier with 38.6 degrees. The long-term mean results from the internationally valid reference period from 1961 to 1990. However, the summer was also clearly too dry, as the DWD announced on Wednesday in Offenbach.
From the experts’ point of view, 2020 was a remarkable year not only in view of the high average temperature, but also due to the drought. After the winter brought a lot of precipitation and the sunniest spring since the start of measurements followed, the drought became more and more of a problem. Although it rained frequently in June and August, the summer half of the year is considered too dry according to the DWD, which is why the drought has worsened in some regions.
“In the Rheinhessen region there was even a significant precipitation deficit to be observed,” said the meteorologists. The amount of precipitation in 2020 was almost 650 liters per square meter. It was thus well below the long-term average of 807 liters per square meter.
According to the DWD, 2020 was the second warmest year in Germany since the beginning of area-wide weather records in 1881. According to preliminary results, the annual mean temperature is 10.4 degrees Celsius. Only the year 2018 was slightly warmer with 10.5 degrees.
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