Hot weather in Potsdam in the years 1896–2015

Abstract

The main objective of this article was the analysis of multiannual variability in the occurrence of hot days and heat waves in Potsdam in the last 120 years. The article used data concerning the maximum and minimum daily air temperature in Potsdam between 1896 and 2015, which were obtained from the Deutscher Wetterdienst database. A hot day was defined as a day with Tmax >30 °C, and a heat wave was considered a sequence of at least three hot days. The analysed multiannual period showed a statistically significant increase in Tmax in summer, which was 0.13 °C per 10 years. The observed increase in Tmax translated into an increase in the number of hot days and, consequently, in the frequency of the occurrence of heat waves. Within the analysed multiannual period, the lowest number of heat waves was recorded between 1896 and 1905, while the highest was observed between 2006 and 2015.