Bavaria faces severe drought as rainfall deficit deepens

Bavaria has received less spring rainfall this year than in any other year since records began in 1881, while record heat and extreme evaporation have intensified dry conditions in summer, BR reported. Vegetation is suffering from water stress, and groundwater levels remain low across much of the state.

According to the Bavarian Environment Agency, 86% of near-surface groundwater monitoring stations, springs and related measuring points, as well as 79% of stations monitoring deeper groundwater layers, are recording low levels.

The last significant rainfall across Bavaria came between July 14 and 19, producing an average of 22 millimetres. The total included local thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and strong gusts. In the following four weeks, almost no rain fell across the state, according to agricultural meteorologist Stephan Weigand of the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture.

More than half of all measuring stations recorded less than 10 millimetres of rain during that period, while high summer temperatures continued. From March to July, Bavaria received just under 240 millimetres of rain, compared with the usual 420 millimetres.

“We are currently missing about 2.4 months’ worth of rainfall,” Weigand said.

Summer thunderstorms generally produce rainfall only in local areas, while widespread rain has been almost entirely absent this year. High evaporation has further increased the deficit, and plants are using much of the available water, leaving less to replenish groundwater.

People watering plants should do so in the evening or early morning to reduce evaporation and should direct the water close to the roots. Lawns need not cause excessive concern, Weigand said: thorough watering once a week is sufficient. Even grass that has turned yellow-brown and appears dead can recover if its roots remain intact and receive enough moisture.

Trees are also under severe heat stress. They may shed their leaves to protect their trunks and roots, a process visible in birch trees and other species. Experts advise watering trees where possible.

Different tree species have different water requirements. Willows and spruce trees have shallow roots, while pines, oaks and firs differ in their root systems. Trees can withstand dry conditions more easily when they have access to groundwater, Weigand said. In deciduous forests, around 20% of annual rainfall remains caught in the leaves and evaporates without reaching the ground.

The Environment Agency expects groundwater conditions to improve no earlier than the winter half-year, and only if the period from November to April 2026-27 brings exceptionally high rainfall. Under those conditions, groundwater reserves could gradually recover across the state, including in areas far from flowing water.