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Munich (dpa / lby) - Despite a few sunny days recently, April in Bavaria will probably be one of the coldest in recent decades.
It was similarly cold in April, the last time in 1997, said a spokesman for the German Weather Service (DWD).
"You have to go far back to find something comparable."
Slight changes in average temperatures are still possible until the end of the month.
But these would not be more than 0.1 degrees, emphasized the spokesman.
In Munich city center, for example, the mean value for April is currently 7.4 degrees, a lower value since it was last reported there in 1982.
It was completely different in the past few years.
April 2018, with an average temperature of 14.7 degrees in Munich, was the warmest since weather records began in Germany.
The year 2019 was also well above the long-term average with a value of 12.6 degrees.
For the internationally valid reference period 1961 to 1990 the average value is 8.7 degrees, in the comparison period 1991 to 2020 it is 10.2 degrees.
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The cold April caused problems especially for fruit growers and winegrowers in the Free State. According to the Competence Center Obstbau-Bodensee in Ravensburg, frosty nights in mid-April destroyed part of the harvest. Accordingly, stone fruits such as cherries and mirabelle plums were particularly affected, but also pears. "But we got away with a black eye," said managing director Manfred Büchele. "I think we will have a good harvest."
Hundreds of vintners and fruit growers in Bavaria have insured themselves against weather risks with a subsidy program from the Ministry of Agriculture to protect themselves against crop failures due to frost.
As the ministry announced on Tuesday, 447 winegrowers and fruit growers had applied for funding by the end of April.
The pilot project subsidizes the premiums for protection against heavy frost, storms or heavy rain with up to 50 percent.
According to the DWD, the weather in the Free State should remain mild, at least for the last days of April.
No further frosty nights are to be expected until Friday, temperatures are expected to rise to 13 to 21 degrees during the day.
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Good news for the fruit growers on Lake Constance: If the apple blossom should get frost, it would have bigger consequences.
According to the Competence Center Obstbau-Bodensee, apples make up 90 percent of the harvest there.
“But I'm confident in this area,” says Managing Director Büchele.
"I think we are through with the frost, thank God."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210428-99-380355 / 2
DWD weather forecast Bavaria