According to researchers at the Helmholtz Center, the extreme drought in the soil since 2018 has been particularly challenging in northern and eastern Germany and has caused serious damage down to the deeper soil layers. A drought is an extreme event that has not occurred since 1867. The increasing discussion about water supply security is also no longer a cause for concern. The reason for this is the high amount of precipitation last year, which was around 40% above the long-term average. Thanks to the very wet fall and winter months, the situation has eased and the extreme drought in Germany is over. Only in eastern Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are there still individual regions where dry soils are being recorded, which is due to a decreasing rain surplus towards the east.
This is good news for forestry and water management, as it is unlikely that a critical drought situation will develop in the coming year due to the amount of water stored in the soil.
However, such a statement cannot be made for agriculture, as summer crops are particularly dependent on precipitation from April to October.
You can find the article and further information on the UFZ website here.