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In July there were also severe storms in the Miesbach district in Bavaria
Photo: Bernd März / imago images
It will drizzle less often in the years to come, but it will pour more and more frequently.
The rising temperatures are changing the type of precipitation in Germany.
Instead of large-scale continuous rain, there will be more frequent small-scale heavy rain.
This is the result of a study presented by the German Weather Service.
The study was developed in cooperation with the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, the Technical Relief Organization and the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research.
Climate projections indicated that the number of extreme weather events could increase and intensify due to climate change.
One consequence is the increase in heavy rainfall.
The basis of the survey is precipitation data from the weather stations since 2001. From this data, the experts compiled a catalog of extreme precipitation in Germany.
It was found that in warmer regions, precipitation occurs more frequently as small-scale heavy rain and less in the form of continuous rain that lasts for several hours or days.
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Extreme heavy rain of short duration, such as thunderstorms, could be significantly larger and stronger.
That is why no less water comes from the sky overall: Increased heavy rain leads to increased total precipitation and potentially greater damage.
The risk also depends on where you live
"Heavy rain can hit anyone," said Tobias Fuchs, head of climate and environmental advice at the German Weather Service.
However, certain factors such as the topography and the degree of surface sealing have an influence on the specific risk.
According to the study, the places where fire brigades are on duty due to heavy rain are more often in depressions and in densely populated areas where many areas are sealed off.
The authorities demanded that the recording of the mission data be further developed.
So far, there is no database for a comprehensive and cross-organizational situation report that depicts the operational load in heavy rain.
An additional burden on the emergency services of the civil protection system must be made visible.
The representatives of the authorities involved also spoke out in favor of more commitment in order to limit the rise in temperature.
It is necessary to build an infrastructure "that can cushion the damage caused by heavy rain events, especially in urban regions," said Fuchs.
The President of the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research, Peter Jakubowski, said that cities had to be "converted to be compact, climate-friendly and water-sensitive."
You have to ensure that as much precipitation as possible can seep away and that heavy rain is better stopped.
Such a conversion is expensive and time-consuming.
That is why, Jakubowski demanded, that additional funding should be discussed.
"The climate-friendly city needs urban greenery and the protection of open spaces through compact development," said Jakubowski.
And: "Unsealing is the core task that urban planning and development must devote to."
vki / AFP / dpa