The German Weather Service (DWD) has revealed that Berlin was, once again, the warmest state in Germany over the course of 2021. It was also the driest state last year.

Berlin: the warmest and driest state in 2021

Experts at the DWD have calculated the average annual temperature in Berlin last year to be 10,1 degrees, making it the warmest federal state. It was also the driest state, with only 560 litres of rainfall per square meter over the year. The state was also surprisingly sunny in 2021, with around 1.665 hours of sunshine - 15 hours more than the national average (1.650 hours).

Berlin’s values were significantly higher than the state’s long-term mean values. The long-term mean (the average value for the internationally recognised reference period between 1961 and 1990) for Berlin in terms of temperature is 9,1 degrees, while the long-term average for rainfall in the state stands at 573 litres per square metre. The long-term mean for sunshine in the state is 1.635 hours.

German weather in 2021

DWD Climate Director, Tobias Fuchs, has described the weather in Germany in 2021 as slightly too sunny and too warm, with a normal amount of rainfall. “Our balance sheet for 2021 is ambiguous,” Fuchs said. Accordingly, there were no new temperature records and there was sufficient rainfall for almost all regions. "At the same time, 2021 was also the year of the worst flood disaster in decades." Fuchs blamed climate change for the extreme weather Germany had experienced. "Those who protect the climate protect themselves," he said.

Weather experts consider 2021 to be the eleventh year in a row where temperatures are significantly higher than the national long-term mean. In 2021, the average temperature in Germany was determined to be 9,1 degrees, which is 0,9 degrees higher than the national long-term mean. The highest temperature was 36,6 degrees, which was recorded on June 19 at the Berlin-Templehof and Baruth weather stations. 2021 also saw an average of 1.650 hours of sunlight, which exceeds the national long-term average (1.544 hours) by about 7 percent.

The amount of rainfall this year was closer to the long-term average compared to the previous few years. Around 805 litres of rainfall per square metre fell in Germany in 2021, which is similar to the national long-term mean (789 litres per square metre) and the average for the period between 1991 and 2020 (791 metres per square metre). This was mainly driven by extreme heavy rainfall in the summer, which caused catastrophic flooding across the country.

German weather statistics for 2021

Below are the statistics for the particularly warm, wet, cold and sunny places in Germany last year. 

Warmest places in Germany 2021

The places below averaged the warmest temperatures over the course of the year:

1. Cologne-Stammheim (North Rhine-Westphalia) - 11,4 degrees
2. Waghäusel-Kirrlach (Baden-Württemberg) - 11,2 degrees
3. Frankfurt - Westend (Hesse) - 11,0 degrees

Coldest places in Germany 2021

The coldest places on average in Germany over the course of 2021 were:

1. Carlsfeld (Saxony) - 5,3 degrees
2. Zinnwald-Georgenfeld (Saxony) - 5,4 degrees
3. Neuhaus am Rennweg (Thuringia) - 5,7 degrees

Wettest places in Germany 2021

The following places saw the highest rainfall on average in 2021:

1. Balderschwang (Bavaria) - 2.385,2 litres per square metre
2. Obere Firstalm / Schlierseer Berge (Bavaria) - 2.319,3 litres per square metre
3. Baiersbronn - Ruhestein (Baden-Württemberg) - 2.297,1 litres per square metre

Sunniest places in Germany 2021

These places basked in the most sunlight last year:

1. Leutkirch-Herlazhofen (Baden-Württemberg) – 2.045 hours
2. Kaufbeuren (Bavaria) – 2.037 hours
3. Amerang-Pfaffing (Bavaria) – 2.020 hours