Germany's Spring 2026 Blazes with Record Sunshine, Unusual Warmth, and Near-Historic Dryness

A season of extremes

Germany has just lived through an extraordinary meteorological spring (March–May) that was far warmer, sunnier, and drier than any in recent memory, according to preliminary assessments by the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD). Across the country, temperatures soared 2 to 3 degrees above the 1961-1990 baseline, while sunshine hours smashed records in several states. At the same time, many areas received barely half their normal rainfall, raising fears of a historic drought.

The sun donated an extraordinary number of hours and made spring in many places recall more southern latitudes.

Temperature surge

Average temperatures for the season reached double digits in many states: Hamburg averaged 10.3°C (2.3 degrees above normal), Hesse 10.2°C (+2.4 degrees), North Rhine-Westphalia 10.5°C (+2.2 degrees), and Rhineland-Palatinate 10.8°C (+2.7 degrees). Even traditionally cooler Bavaria recorded 9.7°C, well above its long-term mean of 7.2°C. The warmth peaked late: on May 23, parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse hit 30°C for the first time this year, and the season ended with a "high-summer" finale across much of the country.

For the May finale, the season said goodbye in a high-summer manner.

Sunshine records tumble

Sunshine was the season's defining feature. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern set a new record with 737 hours (normally 516). Brandenburg registered 729 hours, expected to be a new spring record, while Hesse's 680 hours rank among its five sunniest springs since 1951. North Rhine-Westphalia saw 674 hours – far above its average of 441. In Bavaria, the count approached 700 hours, nearly 50% more than typical.

Precipitation deficits and drought fears

Rainfall was conspicuously absent. Bavaria received only 101 litres per square metre, just 45% of its long-term normal – potentially the driest spring since records began over 140 years ago. Hesse managed only 128 litres (67% of normal), while Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia also saw deficits. Between them, the country as a whole received about a third less rain than usual. The dryness raises concerns for agriculture, water supply, and wildfire risk as summer begins.

Extreme rainfall exceptions

Despite the overall dryness, isolated heavy downpours punctuated the season. On 19 April, the station at Wittstock-Rote Mühle in Brandenburg recorded 82 litres per square metre in a single day – double the region's typical April total. The same day, Röbel/Müritz in the Mecklenburg Lake District measured 83.4 litres, the highest daily precipitation anywhere in Germany this spring and a station record.