Germany's spring drought stresses nature, farmers

Spring in Germany has been sunny, cool — and far too dry. Recent data from the German Weather Service showed that Germany, and other European countries, saw the driest March since measurements began in 1881. The water content of the upper layers of soil is up to 20% below the long-term minimum values, particularly in the north.

These little seedlings have defied months of drought: March was unusually dry, but there was also too little rain in February — and there's been no precipitation in the first week of April, either. The coming days will see only scattered showers here and there, "at best," Marcel Schmid from the German Weather Service told the German Press Agency on Wednesday.

Helmut Dedy, head of the Association of German Cities, has called for Germans to conserve drinking water in view of the ongoing drought. "Climate change is becoming more and more noticeable," he told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. "We have to use the valuable resource of water sparingly." At the moment, however, drinking water supplies remain sufficient.

At Lake Constance, on the border with Switzerland, the water level is currently lower than it has been for quite some time. These ships on the island of Reichenau still have enough to stay afloat, but a harbor on the smaller Untersee has already dried up. And the smallest island on Lake Constance, Hoy, some 100 meters (about 330 feet) from shore, can currently be reached by foot.

In Gladbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia, farmer Bernd Im Winkel shows how parched the soil is on his land. "We're concerned about the current weather situation," said Joachim Rukwied, head of the German Farmers' Association. "We're urgently waiting for rain."

Andreas Brömser of the German Weather Service has confirmed an "unusually low soil moisture for this time of year," but said the soil was still well-saturated with water at depth. A few weeks with plenty of rain could compensate for the current drought, he said. "For the time being, we don't have to assume that we'll see a pronounced drought in the summer months."

The water level in the Rhine River at Cologne is currently at 1.54 meters (about 5 feet), about half the usual level. This has already had economic consequences: steel manufacturer Thyssenkrupp, for example, is loading its ships with less cargo. However, the supply of raw materials has so far remained unaffected, a spokesperson told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

According to the German Weather Service, the risk of forest fires has increased significantly. Here in the Sauerland region, firefighters have already tackled two large-scale blazes within two days. The drought has also weakened the trees, making them less capable of defending against insect infestation.

"The current drought is worrying. Even now, in spring, it is far too dry in many parts of Germany this year," said outgoing Environment Minister Steffi Lemke on Tuesday. "Agriculture and forestry, but also all of us, are clearly feeling the consequences of the climate crisis." If it stays this dry, she said the harvest could be affected.

However, the forecast has some good news for next week — at least for western Germany. It's expected to rain in places like Freiburg and Cologne, potentially boosting the water level in dried-up rivers like the Rhine (above).