September 2026 sees record sunshine, heat and drought across Germany

The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) evaluated observations from about 2,000 measuring stations and concluded that September 2026 was marked by exceptional sunshine, extreme dryness and unusually warm temperatures, ranking the month among the ten warmest since records began in 1881. Daily highs ranged from 22 °C to 30 °C, and the country recorded only roughly 40 L of rain per square metre, with most precipitation concentrated in the north and coastal regions; the southwest saw less than 10 L, and the Saarland under 5 L. Sunlight totaled 192 hours nationwide, exceeding 250 hours in parts of southern Germany.

The sustained drought has dramatically lowered river levels, with the Rhine at Kaub reaching zero or negative gauge readings, a historic low that compels vessel operators to lighten cargo. Martin Labadz of the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde described the situation as “extremely low” and warned that the next two to three weeks will likely maintain similarly low levels, with only a modest improvement expected after six weeks, contingent on substantial, multi-day rainfalls that are not currently forecast.