Concentrated knowledge on climate change - new atlas of climate extremes

[Translate to English:] Ausklappseite Maximumtemperaturen Deutschland — Fold-out page in the Atlas of Climate Extremes (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / REKLIM)

A new atlas renders climate extremes in Germany visible: The Alfred Wegener Institute in the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM shows extremes based on the data from the German Weather Service. The atlas clearly shows how climate change is developing and what changes are already noticeable.

[Translate to English:] Entwicklung der Temperaturanomalien in Niedersachsen/Hamburg/Bremen — Temporal development of temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius in federal states of Lower Saxony/Hamburg/Bremen (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / REKLIM)

Day-to-day politics and crises claim a lot of attention - but climate change remains one of the crucial challenges of our time. Extreme weather, droughts, forest fires, melting ice sheets and glaciers, thawing permafrost and rising sea levels: The consequences of climate change have long been visible and are increasingly threatening our living space as humans. In 2025, global CO₂emissions, one of the main causes of climate change, reached a new high. In spite of international efforts, a reversal of this trend is not yet foreseeable.

But what does all this mean for Germany? And how can the ongoing development of the climate in this country be reliably categorised? The new 'Atlas of Climate Extremes' from the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM (Regional Climate Change and Humans), based at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), provides orientation. Based on the freely accessible data collected by the German Weather Service since 1881, the atlas systematically traces the development of the climate in Germany. The authors have comprehensively evaluated the station-based, publicly accessible measurement data and prepared it in detail in maps, graphics and analyses. In this way, climate changes over long periods of time become visible for Germany as a whole as well as for the federal states and can be used as a basis for concrete local decisions.

Concentrated knowledge - the "Atlas of climate extremes" in facts and figures:

26 fold-out pages with over 2,000 maps of Germany on key climate parameters and climate index days (period: 1951-2024)
210 graphs and maps and 87 tables for detailed visualisation and analysis of seasonal climate development in the federal states - for the parameters temperature, precipitation and water balance (SPEI) (1881-2024)
126 graphs and 9 tables for comparative time series analyses of 9 selected climate data in the federal states (1951-2024)
132 maps and 11 tables for the decadal analysis of 12 climate parameters and climate index days (1951-2024)

As Dr Monica Ionita, meteorologist, AWI climate scientist and lead author, describes the intention behind the atlas: "The weather and climate in Germany have changed significantly over the last 50 years - and these changes are not uniform. They vary from region to region, and in order to understand them you have to look beyond national averages and consider the local and regional levels. This atlas was developed with this goal in mind."

By presenting climate data at the individual state levels, the atlas provides a clearer picture of how conditions have changed across the country - from temperature trends and precipitation patterns to the frequency of extreme weather events. Each federal state tells its own story, characterised by geography, land use and local climate dynamics. In Saarland, for example, the average annual temperature in the period 1881-2024 has risen the most of all federal states compared to the reference period 1971-2000, by 2.1 °C, followed by the federal states of Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate with 2.0 °C.

One thing is clear for Monica Ionita and her co-authors: "Scientific findings on climate change should be accessible to everyone and not just experts. Translating complex data into readily comprehensible, regionally specific information enables policy makers, planners and the general public alike to better understand the situation in their part of the country and make informed decisions based on it. The atlas is a contribution to this endeavour - a reference work for anyone who wants to understand the current state of our climate, presented in a data-based and clearly understandable way." Monica Ionita is also one of the lead authors of the new IPCC report, which will be published in 2028 and summarises the current global state of research on climate change.

Henrike Müller, Senator for the Environment, Climate and Science of the State of Bremen: "The authors have prepared the data in an understandable way - with maps, graphics and clear analyses. This shows how the climate has changed over many years in Germany and the federal states. The facts are well-defined and cannot be glossed over. An important foundation for local decisions. A genuinely successful atlas of climate extremes.
What should not be ignored: Although climate is naturally a global issue, we can do a lot locally. More trees, more green spaces and better rainwater storage help to make our cities more liveable and mitigate the consequences - right here on our own doorstep."

As Dr Hajo Eicken, who has been active as Scientific Director of the AWI since 20 March 2026, emphasises: "For me, this atlas is an excellent example of how science has an impact on society. It shows how the climate in Germany is developing and thus complements the current figures from the European Copernicus programme at national and regional level. The climate atlas can thus contribute to decisions on climate adaptation at regional level. The atlas also provides important key data for keeping climate change within a manageable framework, as agreed in the UN Paris Climate Accords."

Dr Klaus Grosfeld, head of the REKLIM research network, adds: "For us, the atlas is a tool to bring knowledge to society and make changes visible. It is important to me that it is readily comprehensible: Those who recognise local developments also develop an awareness of responsibility - and the willingness to act."

The 'Atlas of Climate Extremes' can be ordered from the Helmholtz Climate initiative REKLIM free of charge and is also available as an interactive PDF. Maps and graphics are also available online at www.reklim.de/atlas-klimaextreme.