Germany Climate
Top 5 Cities: Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Cologne
Germany experienced a significantly warmer April, with the month ranking as the 7th warmest April in 86 years of records, at 10.58°C, a substantial +3°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period from February to April 2026 also continued this trend, ranking as the 11th warmest on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with a +1.1°C anomaly, closely following the record set in April 2025. The global three-month period from February to April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures.
This month in numbers
April 2026 in Germany saw an average temperature of 10.58°C, an anomaly of +3°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline, making it the 7th warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 in Germany was the 11th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 6.07°C, an anomaly of +2.2°C.
What changed
The warmer trend observed in April follows a generally mild winter. Germany's April anomaly of +3.02°C places it 61st out of 234 regions for the latest month's anomaly, and 75th for the three-month anomaly. This warming trend is consistent with Europe as a whole, which experienced an April that was about 1°C warmer than the usual average. Germany's 1-month anomaly was also 0.54°C warmer than the European group average.
What’s driving change?
The warmer conditions in Germany are influenced by several factors. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong probability of transitioning to El Niño in the coming months, which typically brings cooler late winters to Northern Europe, though very strong El Niños have historically resulted in warmer winters. Germany has also been experiencing a prolonged drought since 2018, with a brief recovery in 2024, but precipitation in 2025 was significantly below average. This can contribute to higher temperatures. Additionally, April 2026 saw "wild" weather across Europe, with late snowfalls and powerful storms, attributed in part to jet stream shifts that brought cold Arctic air further south. Germany has also seen a drought event active from December 2025 to May 2026, and a flood event in early May 2026, both representing 100% of the annual total for their respective types, indicating an unusual concentration of these events. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance in May-Jul and an 87% chance by July-Sep, which could influence temperature patterns for Germany in the latter half of the year.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Germany
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Germany changing?
Germany is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Germany come from?
Climate data for Germany comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Germany climate data cover?
The Germany climate profile covers Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt and surrounding areas. The Energiewende benchmark for industrial decarbonisation
How often is the Germany climate update refreshed?
The Germany climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.