Germany sees 'worrying' record dry spell in early 2025

Berlin: Germany s environment minister on Wednesday warned of a high risk of forest fires and poor harvests after a worrying lack of rain in recent...

Berlin: Germany's environment minister on Wednesday warned of a high risk of forest fires and poor harvests after a "worrying" lack of rain in recent weeks.

From February 1 to April 13, Germany saw 40 litres of rainfall per square metre -- its lowest level since records began in 1931, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

"The current drought is worrying," Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said in a statement sent to AFP, warning that "it is much too dry in many parts of Germany this year".

The record low for February 1 to April 13 is around 68 percent or 88 litres less than the average rainfall for the same period between 1991 and 2020, the DWD said.

The record for the period had previously dated back to 1976, when rainfall was 55 litres per square metre.