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Annual Review 2020

The year 2020 was warmer than average for Dresden-Klotzsche, and ranks with a mean of
11.0 °C as the third warmest year in a series from 1934. Only 2019 (11.2 °C) and 2018 (11.1
°C) were warmer. The year 2020 and the summer, respectively, were 2.2 Grad Celsius (K)
warmer compared with the international reference period 1961–1990. The greatest
deviation of average values we observed in February with + 5.2 K.

Moreover, alltop-seven warmest years in the historical series have occurred this century.
In 2020 three months were significantly wet relative to average; February, August and
October. In mid-October, extensions of low “Gisela” brought the long-awaited abundant
precipitation to Saxony. Most of the other months have been very dry. Altogether the
balance of the year in Dresden-Klotzsche was -135 mm, with greatest deviations in spring.
So, three years successionally (2018, 2019 and 2020) were much too warm and dry.
As sunshine is concerned we calculated a surplus of +435 hours in 2020 with an important
excess of 235 hours in spring.

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As a consequence of the long-lasting drought the Federation of German Forest Owner
Associations has signalled a once-in-a-century catastrophe for forests in Germany. The
German Drought Monitor gives an alarming signal and showed that extraordinary drought is
almost unchanged since 2018 at depths closer to about one or two meters despite any heavy
rainfall events in 2020.