2018 was warmest year in Germany since records began

BERLIN (AP) - Germany’s meteorological agency DWD says 2018 was the warmest in the country since records began.

The agency said Tuesday that the annual average temperature in Germany was 10.5 degrees Celsius (50.9 Fahrenheit) last year - higher than at any time since 1881.

The number of days when the mercury rose above 25 C and 30 C also beat previous records, including from the intense but shorter-lived summer of 2003.

Last year’s record heat was accompanied by a long-lasting drought, making it the fourth-driest since 1881.

DWD said last year’s measurements provide a preview of what Germany could face if climate change drives up temperatures further in future.