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2014 was warmest year on record: official

It may not feel like it as you huddle into your winter wear, but Germany's warmest year in recorded history ends tomorrow – amid extreme snowfall warnings for New Year's Eve in some areas.

Published: 30 December 2014 15:38 CET

2014 was warmest year on record: official

Warm memories of 2014? Photo: DPA

The average temperature reading in 2014 was 10.3 degrees Celsius, the highest since meteorological records began in 1881, the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach reported on Tuesday.

The closest contenders were 2000 and 2007 with 9.9 degrees.

This year winter effectively by-passed some northern and eastern parts of the country in January and February, followed by a dry spring, a scorching summer and an autumn that was conspicuously lacking in storms.

The hottest day of the year was the June 9 Whit Monday public holiday, when the mercury hit 37.7 Celsius near the southwestern town of Baden-Baden.

Also in Baden-Württemberg, the coldest night of the year fell on December 29 in Altheim, where the temperature plummeted to minus 24.9.

By states, North Rhine-Westphalia was the warmest with an average of 10.9 degrees, and Bavaria the coolest with 9.6.

But it's not over til its over: Authorities in some parts of the country issued heavy snowfall warnings on Tuesday.

Parts of Bavaria are expected to get from 20 to 50 centimetres of snow from Tuesday to Wednesday.

A snowplough clearing slip roads at Munich Airport on Tuesday. Photo: DPA

The cold front has caused chaos at Munich Airport, where dozens of flights were cancelled and planes rerouted on Tuesday.

While the Alps and other parts of the south are forecast to shiver out the year with minus 3-8 degrees, many areas up to the north coast should post temperatures above zero, rising to 5 degrees in Berlin with possible rain showers.

Meanwhile, winter's cold extremes have produced some newsworthy hot heads.

Alarmed motorists on an Autobahn near Munich on Sunday had to alert the driver of a public bus with hand signals to the fact that he was towing a man on a sledge.

Unbeknownst to the driver, the 21-year-old hooked up his sledge to the vehicle with a five-metre rope before it left the city's central bus depot, the Merkur newspaper reported.

After a few kilometres the driver pulled over on the hard shoulder of the A96 where the miraculously unhurt joyrider was detached for questioning by police.

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Germany hit by storms and high winds

The German Weather Service (DWD) is maintaining wind warnings across much of Germany on Tuesday following severe wind and rain storms that started Monday night.

Wind speeds are most intense in the south. Around Munich, the DWD predicts wind speeds around 65 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour can be expected in exposed locations, along with showers.

In the middle of the country the weather is similar with slightly less intense winds predicted. In Düsseldorf, winds up to around 55 kilometres per hour are predicted.

In the northern regions, no serious weather warnings are in effect.

Showers are also expected across much of the southern, western and northern regions in Germany on Tuesday. In the middle and eastern regions, such as around Erfurt or Dresden, skies are partly cloudy.

In the Upper Harz region, snow fell on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Unusually cold weather is expected to continue there through the weekend.

Looking forward, scattered showers will continue on Wednesday, but the sun can be expected to peek through across much of the country. Northern and eastern cities like Berlin and Hamburg can expect a bit more sun tomorrow, whereas cities in the south can expect a bit more rain.

A mix of sun and scattered showers can be expected to extend through Friday and Saturday, with high temperatures around 12C each day and low temperatures between 2C and 5C at night.

House with wrecked roof

The flat roof of an apartment building in Hesse was damaged by severe winds on Monday night. PHOTO: picture alliance/dpa/5VISION.NEWS | 5VISION.NEWS

Severe storms left trail of destruction

Thunderstorms, strong winds and widespread storms on Monday evening left carnage across Germany.

Some train passengers experienced delays of four hours on while a number of routes were closed.

On Tuesday morning there are only major delays between Nuremberg and Erfurt, a railway spokesman said.

Tees and branches knocked down by severe gusts of wind caused a series of injuries and traffic disruption.

In Hesse, a motorist and her passenger were injured in a collision with a tree that had fallen due to the storm.The accident occurred on Monday evening in the city of Alsfeld. Both occupants of the car were slightly injured, the 20-year-old was taken to a hospital.

In Bottrop (North Rhine-Westphalia), a 19-year-old pedestrian was injured on her way home from work after a tree suddenly fell onto the sidewalk. The young woman’s legs were trapped under the tree trunk, according to the fire department. In Hattingen in the Ruhr area, a man was injured by a tree falling into a garden.

In Cologne, a city bus was damaged by a fallen tree. The driver was slightly injured and taken to hospital, the fire department said in the evening. Several fallen trees and bent branches hindered traffic in the city.

In Bavaria, three people in a car suffered serious injuries in an accident on the A9.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Koblenz police headquarters reported 10 cars in its region that had been damaged by falling trees or other objects. Electricity and telephone lines were also damaged by falling trees. In Ludwigshafen in the Palatinate, trees fell on roads and power lines. Loose roof tiles and fallen construction fences also triggered fire brigade operations.

With reporting by DPA

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