The consequences of heat on the forest and the economy

Drought in summer and precipitation in winter: Meteorologist Florian Embyri describes the consequences of climate change and predicts competition for water.

Mr. Imbery, you are a meteorologist for the German Meteorological Service. Is this summer unusual?

Ten years ago I would have said yes. But since then, heat waves have become more frequent. In 2019, we went through a very difficult period with many records set for Germany. In 2015, 2018 and 2020 we had lane periods that were shorter. We can expect a hot period every two to three years. It didn’t exist like this before the twenty-first century.

There have been complaints about cooler summers. In 1975 Rudi Carell sang: “When will summer really be again, summer like before? Yes, with the sun shining from June to September, not as rainy and Siberian as last year. How were the temperatures there?”