Spring 2026 in Germany Was One of the Mildest and Sunniest on Record

The overall mild picture was not significantly altered by brief cold snaps. "Einzelne Kälterückfälle Ende März und um die Eisheiligen" had little impact on the season's final balance, the DWD noted. The coldest temperature of the spring was recorded on March 28.

A powerful warm spell at the end of May dramatically boosted the seasonal average. The DWD explained that the warm end of the month gave the spring "einen sommerlich bis regional hochsommerlichen Schlusspunkt." The highest temperature of the season was still expected on Saturday, with around 34 degrees forecast for the Upper Rhine Plain.

A May of Extremes

The month of May itself was a study in contrasts. "Der Mai 2026 war ein Monat der Gegensätze: Erst machten die Eisheiligen ihrem Namen alle Ehre, dann brachte das Monatsende vielerorts hochsommerliche Temperaturen," the DWD wrote in its monthly assessment. The average May temperature was 14.1 degrees, with a total of 254 hours of sunshine, significantly more than the long-term average.

Regionally, some areas saw sunshine totals exceeding 300 hours, particularly in the north, northeast, and south. May precipitation reached around 65 liters per square meter, achieving roughly 92 percent of the reference period's target.

The national precipitation picture for the entire spring was one of stark contrasts. Germany-wide, around 126 liters of rain per square meter fell, which is only about 68 percent of the long-term average.

A Nation Divided by Rain

April was a particularly dry month, reaching only about half of its typical rainfall total. The DWD reported that the most rain fell in the central German uplands and along the edge of the Alps, where locally around 250 liters per square meter were recorded.

In mid-April, a single event in those regions brought about 83.4 liters per square meter of precipitation, which is "mehr als sonst in einem durchschnittlichen April." The weather service summarized the disparity: "Während lokal also Wasser in äußerster Wucht fiel, blieb es in Teilen Süddeutschlands außergewöhnlich trocken."

The state of Bavaria is a prime example of this dryness. According to the latest calculations, Bavaria is heading for its driest spring since 1881. In stark contrast, the northern city-states of Bremen and Berlin were the driest regions, each receiving less than 100 liters per square meter over the three months.

North Rhine-Westphalia, however, was among the wetter regions in a national comparison. The state saw around 182 liters per square meter fall from March to May. "Damit blieb NRW zwar unter dem Soll, gehörte im Ländervergleich aber zu den nassesten Regionen des Frühjahrs," the DWD noted.

Record-Breaking Sunshine

When it came to sunshine, the spring of 2026 was exceptional. The DWD recorded around 692 hours of sunshine nationwide, a value that is about 48 percent above the long-term average. This follows an already exceptionally sunny spring in 2025.

The northern and northeastern parts of the country were particularly sun-drenched. "Besonders im Norden und Nordosten erreichte die Sonne gebietsweise über 750 Stunden – ein Rekord-Lichtangebot, das stellenweise eher an südlichere Breiten als an ein klassisches mitteleuropäisches Frühjahr erinnerte," the DWD reported.

Berlin exemplified this trend, recording 741 hours of sunshine, a new record for a spring season in the capital. The surrounding state of Brandenburg also reached an exceptional level with around 737 hours. Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt similarly saw more than 700 hours of sunshine.

Temperature Leaders and Laggards

The temperature rankings across Germany's federal states showed a clear pattern. Berlin led the country with an average spring temperature of 11.2 degrees, a level the DWD described as exceptional. During the season, temperatures there temporarily exceeded 30 degrees.

Rhineland-Palatinate followed in second place with an average of 10.8 degrees. The lowest temperatures were recorded in Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, both averaging 9.1 degrees. The DWD noted a late cold surprise in the latter region: "Am Fichtelberg fiel Mitte Mai noch einmal Schnee."