Formation of the June 2013 Flood in Central Europe with a focus on Germany

Impact of the general weather situation 'Low Central Europe'

Climate researchers have found a trend suggesting that moist low pressure areas are becoming more common in central Europe. The average annual value has increased by about 20 percent from 1951 to 2011. This trend is set to continue in the future. The June 2013 flood is a confirmation of this trend.

Figure 2.1: A color-coded map of central Europe showing the expected increase in the number of days the region will be under the influence of a low pressure system. Source (1)

Climate simulation show, that the weather situation "Low Central Europe" will increase until the end of this century (up to 7 days more per year) in relation to the middle of the last century (Fig. 2.1).

These low pressure systems contain a lot of moisture, thus increasing total annual precipitation. These are favorable conditions for dangerous heavy precipitation and increase the risk of strong floods.