BERLIN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- In 2021, the average temperature in Germany was 9.2 degrees Celsius, one degree higher than that of the international reference period (1961-1990), the National Meteorological Service (DWD) said on Tuesday.
The data confirmed the "clear" ascending trend of mean temperature in the country. Last year was the eleventh in a row that was "too warm," according to the DWD. With an annual average temperature of 10.5 degrees Celsius, 2018 was the country's hottest year on record.
Due to climate change, Germany should expect extreme weather events, such as the heavy rainfall and flooding last July, to occur more frequently. "We need to be better prepared for this," said Andreas Becker, head of the DWD's climate monitoring department.
Springtime droughts have also become common in recent years. In 2021, the northeast of Germany received no rainfall for around 40 consecutive days between mid-March and May.
"Competition for water as a resource is already underway, and climate change is already transforming our agriculture and forestry," said Tobias Fuchs, board member for climate and environment at the DWD. Such dry spells could become more frequent and more intense as the climate warms.
Satellite data showed that the loss of woodland in Germany has intensified more rapidly than expected, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has said. The country lost more than 0.5 million hectares of forest -- almost five percent of its total forest area -- between 2018 and 2021. ■