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Offenbach (dpa) - 2020 is one of the warmest since records began.
According to preliminary calculations by the German Weather Service (DWD), it could be in second place behind the record year 2018, when the average temperature was 10.5 degrees.
Today the DWD in Offenbach presents its annual balance sheet.
It was already clear beforehand: 2020 will be the tenth year in a row in which the average temperature exceeded the long-term mean.
A trend is thus continuing: The three warmest years to date in Germany are close together, 2018, 2014 and 2019. Nine of the ten warmest years in Germany to date were within the last 20 years.
Global warming is in the fast lane, explained the DWD.
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In addition, drought and drought continued to create problems for forests and agriculture in 2020.
In the spring in particular, there was no precipitation and regionally kept the soil dry and dusty into the summer.
According to the weather service, only about half of the usual amount of rain fell between March and May on a Germany-wide average.
The west and east of Germany in particular suffered from drought.
Forest fires were also among the consequences.
The DWD already rated last winter as "extremely mild" and as the second warmest since records began in 1881 - there was no trace of ice and snow in many places in Germany.
The spring was very sunny and too warm, especially April.
The summer was changeable, but still exceeded the temperature values of the long-term average.
The precipitation target was almost reached, but the rain was distributed very unevenly regionally.
It was especially hot in August - the drought reached its peak here.
Heavy rain caused flooding because the parched ground could hardly absorb the water.
According to the DWD's balance sheet, autumn was the fourth warmest ever, and it was too dry.
A lot of sun made November too warm, it rained too little.
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The trend is also evident internationally: In an initial assessment at the beginning of December, the World Weather Organization (WMO) assumed one of the three warmest years since temperature records began in the middle of the 19th century.
The record year so far is 2016, with an annual average plus of 1.2 degrees.
For Europe, the average temperature in the first ten months was even higher than ever before.
The corona pandemic should not be an excuse to let up on climate change, warned the WMO.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201230-99-847978 / 2