Heat and drought set to continue in Germany in 2020s - weather service
Clean Energy Wire
Temperatures in Germany could be 0.5 to 1.0 degrees higher in the years from 2021 to 2025 than the long-term average recorded between 1991 and 2020, according to a decadal climate forecast conducted by the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) weather service. The trend is likely to continue in the second half of the decade. The decadal climate forecast for precipitation indicates that conditions will remain too dry as a significant decrease in rainfall is expected, particularly in western Germany. “Our climate forecasts for the next 10 years fill the gap between climate forecasts for the next few months and long-term climate projections up to the end of the century,” says Tobias Fuchs, the DWD’s head of climate and environment. “They can help decision-makers in politics, business and society to adapt investment decisions to climate change now." Waterworks, for example, benefit from decadal climate forecasts when it comes to securing the drinking water supply in years with low rainfall, the DWD report notes. Similarly, the forecasts can also assist the agriculture and forestry sectors prepare for drier or warm periods at an early stage when selecting seeds or preventive pest control. The German government is increasing efforts to help the country adapt and become more resilient as temperatures rise and the effects of climate change become increasingly felt.
