German Weather Service: July was drier, sunnier, and warmer than average

According to RND, the British weather agency Met Office had also reported one of the driest Julys on record for England. This means the dry spell extends beyond Western Europe.

German Cities Council Demands Reliable Funding

The German Cities Council (Deutscher Städtetag) warned of the consequences for municipal infrastructure. Municipalities would have to prepare for more frequent heatwaves, water shortages, and altered precipitation patterns, it said. Christian Schuchardt, responsible for municipal climate adaptation in the association, called on the federal and state governments to take action.

Schuchardt demanded that the implementation of municipal climate protection and climate adaptation concepts be permanently and predictably co-financed by the federal and state governments. "dass die Umsetzung von kommunalen Klimaschutz- und Klimaanpassungskonzepten dauerhaft und planbar von Bund und Ländern mitfinanziert wird", he said.

He also criticized that existing funding programs at the federal and state level are insufficient. "Bestehende Förderprogramme auf Bundes- und Landesebene reichen für diese umfassende Umsetzung nicht aus", Schuchardt said. Specifically, he named measures such as the unsealing of surfaces and more urban greenery.

Classification Within the Climate Trend

Experts see the DWD figures as further evidence of climate change. They point out that the accumulation of warm, dry summers in Central Europe corresponds with the rise in global average temperature.

The DWD announced that it would publish the final climate balance for July 2026 in the coming weeks. Until then, the values cited are considered preliminary.

For agriculture, the balance means another year of strained water supply, especially on light soils in eastern and central Germany. Shipping on rivers prone to low water levels could also face renewed restrictions.