Climate in Germany

The weather in the German Alps was so unseasonably warm in the winter of 2006 that it wasn't even cold enough to produce artificial snow at times. Ski area operators have used snow cannons in the Alps to make up for dwindling natural snowfalls for years.

Extreme weather, including flooding, is becoming more and more common in Germany. In 2006, flood waters on the Elbe River surpassed the previous two water-level records from 2002 and 1895. The flooded town center in the eastern German village of Hitzacker is shown here.

"High embankments won't be sufficient for the drastic climate changes," said Karten Reise from the Wattenmeer Station on the northern German island of Sylt. Storms and rising ocean levels are wearing away the sandy coasts on the North Sea. Click for more evidence of climate change in Germany.

Germany's tallest mountain, the Zugspitze, will again be covered with heavy tarps in early May to protect the glacier from the sun. The process, which is meant to protect some 30,000 cubic meters (over 1 million cubic feet) of snow and ice, has been implemented every year since 1993. On a hot day, the glacier can lose as much as 10 centimeters of ice.

Droughts are only one effect of climate change. The German Weather Service has predicted that heavy storms will also become more and more frequent. The amount of precipitation per storm is expected to increase, which could lead to flash floods.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, there were 546 cases of meningitis in Germany in 2006 -- a 25 percent increase from the previous year. Ticks like it warm and, due to the mild winter, the tick population is expected to increase. Experts have also warned of an increase in infections caused by tick bites.

In mid-spring, the risk of forest fires is already high in many parts of Germany. Typically, high fire risk isn't expected until the summer.

Long periods of drought have already had an impact on boat traffic on the Rhine River over the past several years. Germany's inland waterways play an important role in commerce. Last year alone, they were used to transport 243.1 million tons of goods.

Experts predict that the agricultural sector will increasingly feel the effects of climate change, particularly in eastern Germany, which already has the least amount of rainfall in the country.