Sunlight Exposure in Germany - March: Reaching New Heights

As far as sunlight exposure is concerned, March 2025 turned the tables on typical expectations in Germany. The mean solar radiation recorded reached an astounding 101 kilowatt-hours per square meter, further corroborated by the German Weather Service (DWD). To put things into perspective, this figure significantly exceeds the average of 75 kilowatt-hours per square meter calculated for March from 1981 to 2010.

Alpine Regions Drenched in Sunlight

When it comes to sunlight, the Alps are generally the champions in March, with figures soaring up to 115 kilowatt-hours per square meter. However, this year, the maximum sunlight exposure of 113 kilowatt-hours per square meter in March was surprisingly not recorded in the Alpine area, but in regions around Emden, Nordhausen, and Saarland.

The whole of Western Germany basked in unprecedented sunlight. In regions such as Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Bremen, and Saxony-Anhalt, the DWD recorded bewteen 100 to 110 kilowatt-hours per square meter. Compared to the usual figures of between 66 and 80 kilowatt-hours per square meter for these regions, March was a remarkably sunny month.

Soaring Sunlight Exposure Records Beyond Alpine Regions

Residing over the almighty Alps did not grant you the front row seat to the sun's spectacular show this time! Outstanding readings were also noted in South Baden and near Passau. While the eastern regions didn't reach the same heights, they still reveled in significantly more sunlight than usual for March.

Ordinarily, the North German region experiences minimal sunlight in March, usually clocking in at 66 kilowatt-hours per square meter. This year, areas like the Alps, Swabia, and the Baltic Sea coast, recorded the lowest sunlight exposure levels. However, even these numbers posed a brighter picture than normal, except in the Alpine regions where March 2005 was par for the course in terms of sunlight exposure.