Summer in Brandenburg: heavy rain and floods provide chaos!

Summer in Brandenburg: heavy rain and floods provide chaos!

Seelow, Deutschland - Summer in Brandenburg is extremely changeable this year. While sunny and warm weekends can be inviting, violent rainfalls and thoughts of weather were followed again and again. Climate scientist Frank Kreiskamp from the German Weather Service (DWD) in Potsdam explains that the current weather situation should not be considered extraordinary. It should be noted that July 2023 is already considered warm compared to historical data, despite the measured rainfall.

For the current month of July, 170 liters of rain per square meter have already been registered, and the weather still has a few surprises because the month is not yet over. A look back shows that July 1990 even brought an average of 189 liters, which contributes to classifying the current situation. The heavy rain warnings issued by DWD have proven to be correct, and the precipitation led to worrying flooding in many regions, especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

flooding and their causes

In cities like Seelow in Märkisch-Oderland, basement ran full, and streets were partly flooded. These floods can be attributed to the geographical conditions; The region has no mountains and suffers from unsuitable underground, which favors the development of flood floods. Despite the intensive rains, the drought and the shortage of water, suffering from Brandenburg, is far from resolved. Kreenkamp emphasizes that the violent rainfall is not sufficient to compensate for the existing deficits in the groundwater and in the soils that have existed for years.

Another interesting aspect are the long -term weather forecasts. These are often knitted on “good luck” and do not allow reliable statements about when the regional weather conditions could stabilize. For the time being, a dry high is not in sight, even if the risk of heat waves, similar to in southern Europe, cannot be dismissed out of hand.

extreme weather and climate change

But what does all this have to do with global climate change? A new report by the World Climate Council (IPCC) reveals that global warming increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heavy rain and heat. This is favored by human activities that represent the main cause of climate change. Germany has recently experienced catastrophic flood events - the balance of July 2021 is terrifying: over 180 people died, many livelihoods have been destroyed, and entire villages have disappeared from the ground. The WWF warns that such events can occur more often in the future, while the maximum precipitation amount has increased by up to 19 percent due to climate change.

In order to effectively counter the climate crisis, comprehensive measures are required: This includes not only the exit from fossil fuels, but also a committed expansion of renewable energies and the renaturation of water. The recovery of natural flooding areas could also help reduce the risks of flood events. The combination of human action and the natural opportunities plays a crucial role here.

More information can be found in the reports of wwf.de .