Germany is ending this year's winter under the sign of historic weather records. Berlin recorded its heaviest snowfall in 14 years, while Brandenburg became the coldest region in the entire country. While roads are grappling with a plague of potholes caused by the frost, the first rays of sunshine and temperatures reaching 18 degrees Celsius herald the sudden arrival of spring, bringing relief to residents but also the first problems for allergy sufferers.
Historic Snowfall
Berlin recorded its snowiest winter since 2012, and in some areas since 14 years ago.
Extreme Repair Costs
The frosty winter destroyed road surfaces in northern Germany, generating multi-million euro costs for municipalities.
Attack of Aggressive Pollen
The allergy season started faster and more violently due to the sudden temperature jump to nearly 20 degrees.
This year's winter season in Germany will go down in history as one of the most demanding in the last decade. Berlin recorded a snow cover not seen in the capital since 2012, with some sources even pointing to records from the last 14 years. Concurrently, Brandenburg was classified as the coldest federal state in all of Germany. The extreme weather phenomena have left a clear mark on municipal infrastructure. Local governments in northern Germany are facing enormous costs for road repairs, which have been devastated by numerous potholes caused by the frost. Since the beginning of the 21st century, greater variability of weather extremes has been observed in Central Europe, which experts link to the destabilization of the jet stream over the North Pole.The turn of February, however, brought a radical change in the weather. Temperatures in Berlin and surrounding areas rose sharply, reaching nearly 20 degrees Celsius in some places. The sudden warming triggered symptoms of spring fatigue in many residents, which otolaryngologists explain by the body's need for hormonal adaptation to new conditions. The sunny weather also activated vitamin D receptors in Berliners, resulting in mass walks in parks and café gardens after months of greyness, despite ongoing protest actions in other sectors. The joy of sunshine, however, comes at a cost for those suffering from allergies. The plant pollen season started exceptionally early and aggressively this year. Researchers note that climate stress is making pollen more toxic, which intensifies allergic symptoms in an increasingly large part of the population. While the last ski runs are still taking place on some slopes in Hesse, most of the country is already preparing for the height of spring, forcing road services to immediately begin maintenance work to prevent further degradation of communication routes.