Long-term Development of Selected Climate Parameters 2013

Summary

Climate in the capital – what was it like in the past, what is it like today and how will it potentially develop in the future? Six measuring stations positioned at strategic locations in and around Berlin hold the numbers and therefore the answers to these questions. They measure a variety of climate parameters including air temperature, precipitation and sunshine duration.

These measurements are used for long-term climate observations and allow us to assess the extent to which climate change is already affecting the region. The data evaluation focusses on observing the rising temperature levels. This includes especially the frequency of hot days with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and higher as well as tropical nights, during which your thermometer does not read below 20 degrees Celsius. Such days and nights are caused by the ‘heat island effect’ that is occurring more and more. It illustrates that especially densely built-up areas in a city hardly cool down on days with high temperatures and weak winds. We therefore suffer the effects of this burden.

The analyses presented here illustrate the development of Berlin’s thermal burden thus far and the status quo. In addition, evaluations of available forecast data provide insights into long-standing climate trends and indicate how the city climate may develop throughout the course of this century. Preliminary results suggest that the trend of rising temperatures is likely to accelerate. This is in sync with the expectation that the inner city will experience hot days and tropical nights more frequently.

The contents of this edition are up-to-date.

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