Climate

Although Germany lies, for the main part, north of the US-Canadian border and is nearer the Arctic Circle than the equator, the climate is moderate without extreme cold or hot periods. Most of Germany is situated in the moderately cool west wind zone with damp westerly winds from the North Sea. The climate in northwest and northern Germany is notably oceanic with rainfall all year round. The winters there are relatively mild and the summers comparatively cool. Eastern Germany has all the characteristics of a continental climate. There are often long cold periods in winter and the summers can be very warm. This region is also often affected by long periods of dry weather. Temperatures are at their highest in July and their lowest in January. Local differences in temperature and rainfall are commonplace. It rains more often to the west of the mountains in Germany than to the east. There are also islands of warm areas nested in the protective zones between the uplands, like the lowlands along the Upper Rhine. The lowlands of northern Germany have an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius in July. The sunnier areas of southern Germany reach average temperatures of 19.4 degrees Celsius.