Many places reached new all-time as well as monthly records.
In August, about 90 percent of the German territory suffered under drought.
No New Heat Record – Warmest Four-Month Period "The four-month period from April to July 2018 is the warmest in Germany since the beginning of regular weather recording in 1881," says Professor Michael Kunz, Scientific Spokesperson of CEDIM and head of the corresponding working group at the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-TRO).
In the record summer of 2003, by contrast, the same four-month period was 1.2 Kelvin colder on the average than in 2018.
The German heat record of 40.3°C was not exceeded in 2018.
Many other places in Germany reached all-time or monthly records in 2018.
Heat and Drought in Europe Also other regions of Europe suffered from the extreme drought and heat.
Forest Fires and Disturbances of Road, Air, and Ship Traffic The impacts of the heat and drought were and are still of dramatic character: In many regions of Europe, in particular in Greece, Portugal and Spain as well as in Sweden, devastating forest fires occurred.
"In Germany, the biggest impacts are seen in the agricultural sector and mainly the North and East of Germany are affected," says Susanne Kubisch, doctoral researcher of CEDIM and KIT’s Institute of Regional Science (IfR).
In agriculture and tourism, the heat wave had different regional impacts.