Severe storms caused record rainfall and extreme temperature fluctuations in Germany in September 2024. But there was also an unusual amount of sun.
In September 2024, the Anett storm brought heavy rain, especially in the southeast and east of Germany. The amount of precipitation in Berchtesgadener Land was up to 500 liters per square meter – three times more than usual. In the Alps, the storm led to snowfall that was unusual for mid-September.
The highest daily rainfall of the month was measured on September 13th in Ruhpolding-Seehaus with 156.8 liters per square meter. Historical rainfall in the Czech Republic and Poland led to a tense flood situation on the Oder. In parts of Bavaria there was meter-high snowfall and an increased risk of avalanches.
The average temperature in September was 15.3 degrees Celsius, well above the long-term average of 13.3 degrees Celsius (1961 to 1990). It was particularly hot in northeastern Germany at the beginning of the month. On September 4th, a new record high of 35.2 degrees Celsius was reached in Doberlug-Kirchhain.
In addition to the high temperatures, the sun also appeared longer than usual: at around 177 hours, the sunshine duration was around 18 percent above the average for the reference period from 1961 to 1990. On the Baltic Sea, the sun even shone for up to 230 hours, while it was in the southwest only showed about 130 hours.
In Bavaria, the Anett depression brought particularly intense rainfall with daily totals of over 100 liters per square meter, which led to flooding in some places. In contrast, Berlin was comparatively dry with only around 41 liters per square meter, although there was also an abrupt change in the weather there.
video | Dam overflows uncontrollably
Source: Glomex
While Brandenburg experienced flooding due to the rise of the Oder level, Bremen recorded almost twice as much precipitation as usual for this month. In Hamburg there were both hot days and stormy winds towards the end of the month.
After a summery start, autumnal cool quickly set in in Hesse, accompanied by intense rainfall and around 160 hours of sunshine. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had a noticeable number of hours of sunshine, with elevated temperatures and moderate rainfall.
Lower Saxony also recorded temperature-related peaks and a doubling of the usual amount of rain to around 91 liters per square meter. North Rhine-Westphalia experienced several weaker tornadoes and strong temperature differences.
Rhineland-Palatinate experienced a change between high temperatures of up to 34 degrees Celsius and cooler phases below 15 degrees Celsius in the middle and end of the month. This trend was also reflected in Saarland, with almost twice the amount of rain compared to average and average duration of sunshine.
Saxony experienced a new temperature record in Leipzig (34.9 °C) and intense rainfall, especially in the Ore Mountains. Saxony-Anhalt recorded similarly high temperatures and twice the amount of precipitation compared to the long-term average.
Schleswig-Holstein recorded summer heat as well as heavy rainfall and stormy winds with an overall average temperature of around 15.6 degrees Celsius. Finally, Thuringia also experienced extremely hot days followed by autumnal coolness with a significant increase in monthly rainfall to around twice the average value.
