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Heat wave in Leipzig: record temperatures and possible risk of drought!
The article examines the current weather phenomena in Leipzig-Holzhausen, their causes and climate change from a regional perspective.
Heat wave in Leipzig: record temperatures and possible risk of drought!
On June 24, 2025, Leipzig will experience the first hot days of the year. The city is increasingly affected by extreme weather phenomena that can be attributed to man-made climate change. The current weather conditions are characterized by heat, drought, rain, thunderstorms and an increased risk of flooding. In recent years, the average temperature in Leipzig has increased significantly, with a value of 11.9 degrees Celsius in 2024, the warmest year in 170 years, reports LVZ.
The year 2025 started off dry, but January was 15.2 degrees warm - a record for that day. February, on the other hand, was significantly cooler than in previous years, with an average temperature of just 1.4 degrees. As of March 2025, meteorologists reported many temperature records, including 18.2 degrees on March 7th. April was also remarkably warm at two degrees above average, while May was changeable, bringing both warm and cool days.
Weather extremes and their causes
The heat waves in Leipzig are part of a larger climate phenomenon that can also be observed worldwide. A timeline of global temperatures and extreme events shows that 2023 was the hottest year on record, with an average global temperature nearly 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, it said Federal Environment Agency. These developments are alarming and underscore the urgency of dealing with climate change.
In the Leipzig region, the drought problem has been particularly acute since 2018 to 2020. In the last decade there were eight years with below-average rainfall. However, an above-average wet autumn and winter of 2024/2025 compensated for the dryness in the upper soil layers, as precipitation in April and May 2025 was above average. In the long term, however, the amount of precipitation in Leipzig has remained largely constant.
Climate development in a historical context
The long-term trends show a clear increase in temperatures since the 1990s. The average temperature in Leipzig was 8.5 degrees in 1851, while it rose to 9.9 degrees in 2024. In addition, the number of hot days has increased significantly. Where only 4 to 10 hot days per year were recorded in the 19th century, there have been over 20 since 1994, with a sad record of 35 hot days in the summer of 2018. By mid-August 2024, 14 hot days had already been recorded.
These developments are supported by scientific data coming from the German Weather Service in Leipzig-Holzhausen. This station is one of the most modern measuring stations in Germany. Data on temperature anomalies since 1971, known as Ed Hawkins' Warming Stripes, also show alarming climate warming.
Advancing global warming requires urgent measures and adaptations to counteract the effects of increasingly extreme weather events. The increase in temperatures and the frequency of hot days are not just local but global challenges that affect all areas of our society.