Climate in Germany

Germany is located between the tropics and the polar circles, a region that is blessed with a temperate climate. The country generally enjoys mild temperatures in the summer and winter as well as generous amounts of rainfall. The climate may vary when westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean meet the cold air from northeastern Europe but extremes in temperatures rarely arise.

Although Germany is temperate as a whole, there are still climate variations among different regions in the country. The mountainous areas receive the most rainfall and experience a much cooler temperature. The highest peak in the Harz mountains, for instance, has an annual precipitation of about 60 inches. In contrast, the basins only get about 17 inches of rainfall in a year.

The northwestern and lowland regions of Germany experience high humidity and moderate temperatures. These areas often have gentle, warm summers and mild winters. The hilly portions in the central and southwestern areas as well as the uplands and plateaus in the southeast have much sharper ranges of high and low temperatures.

The climate in Southeastern Germany can be considered as the most extreme in the country. This region has the coldest winter but certain areas such as the Rhine, Main Neckar, and Moselle rivers experience the hottest summers.