DWD Explorer – German Climate Data
DWD OpenData Overview
This page is built around Germany’s Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) OpenData archive. It is the strongest option on Climate Explorer when you need station-level German observations, especially fine-grained records for air temperature, precipitation, wind, and solar radiation.
Rather than a general weather app, the DWD explorer is designed for close inspection of local conditions, historical variability, and extreme events. You can move from 10-minute measurements to daily, monthly, and annual summaries within the same national archive.
Use the interactive explorer
Start with the station map or browse by Bundesland, then switch resolutions to move from short-lived events to long historical summaries.
For Europe-wide near real-time hourly observations, use the EuroMeteo Explorer.
About this Data
This dashboard visualizes high-resolution meteorological records from the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany’s National Meteorological Service. Established as one of the world’s most reliable weather monitoring networks, the DWD provides an extensive archive of open data that is essential for climate research, renewable energy planning, and agricultural analysis.
Unlike standard weather apps that only show current conditions, the Climate Explorer DWD interface grants you direct access to the raw scientific measurements. This includes:
- Air Temperature: Precise readings for analyzing heatwaves, frost events, and long-term warming trends.
- Precipitation: Detailed accumulation data (rain/snow) crucial for hydrological modeling and flood risk assessment.
- Wind Speed & Direction: Vital for wind energy potential assessment and understanding storm dynamics.
- Solar Radiation: Global radiation data supporting the solar energy sector.
Unique Value: 10-Minute Event Capture
A standout feature of this dataset is the availability of 10-minute temporal resolution. While most global datasets aggregate weather into hourly or daily averages, the DWD’s 10-minute fidelity allows you to capture rapid fluctuation events—such as sudden convective storms, squall lines, or flash freeze conditions—that are often lost in lower-resolution data. This granularity is particularly valuable for:
- Urban Planning: Understanding microclimates and drainage requirements.
- Renewable Energy: Managing grid stability with precise solar/wind ramping data.
- Academic Research: Validating high-resolution climate models.
How to use this tool
To get the most out of the DWD Climate Explorer:
- Select a Station: Use the interactive Map to click on any marker, or use the “Find Station” dropdown (grouped by Bundesland/State) to locate specific cities like Berlin, Munich, or Hamburg.
- Choose Resolution: Toggle between 10 Minutes, Hourly, Daily, Monthly, and Annual using the sidebar timeline selector. This instantly updates all visualizations.
- Analyze Trends: The Dashboard tab generates dynamic plots for your selected time range. Zoom in on specific weeks to investigate extreme weather events.
- Download Data: Use the Data tab to view and export the raw observations for your own external analysis.
How to Interpret DWD Observations
This explorer is best read as a tool for understanding how weather behaves across Germany’s contrasting local settings: North Sea and Baltic coasts, lowland river basins, major urban regions, uplands, and Alpine foothills. Because the values come from station observations, local siting and terrain can strongly shape what you see.
When interpreting the page, keep these points in mind:
- Resolution Changes the Question: Ten-minute data is ideal for short-lived events, hourly data for day-scale evolution, and daily or monthly summaries for broader patterns. The right interpretation depends on the timescale you choose.
- Local Geography Matters: Coastal exposure, elevation, valley sheltering, and urban heat-island effects can create strong differences between nearby stations, especially for wind, temperature, and precipitation.
- Ten-Minute Data Captures Event Peaks: Sudden gusts, convective downpours, and rapid temperature changes often become visible only at the 10-minute level.
- Station Histories and Coverage Vary: Some stations provide long multi-resolution records, while others are more limited. It is worth checking the available period before comparing sites directly.
- Use Multiple Variables Together: Wind, precipitation, temperature, and radiation usually make the most sense when read in combination, especially during storms, frost events, or heat episodes.
What This Explorer Is Best For
The DWD explorer is particularly strong for analyzing high-resolution station behavior in Germany, comparing regional contrasts inside the country, and studying short-lived events with 10-minute data. It is less suitable for continent-wide live monitoring or global long-term comparison, where tools such as the EuroMeteo Explorer, GHCNh Explorer, and GHCNm are better fits.
This explorer supports 10 Minutes, Hourly, Daily, Monthly, and Annual data resolutions. Use the Time Resolution toggle in the sidebar to switch between modes. The selected resolution affects both the visualized plots and data exports.
Need more help? View the full DWD User Guide for detailed instructions.
Data source
- DWD OpenData: https://opendata.dwd.de/.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWD OpenData portal?
The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) is Germany’s national meteorological service. It provides one of the most comprehensive open-access weather and climate databases in Europe, containing historical and near real-time observations from thousands of monitoring stations across the country.
How does 10-minute resolution data help?
Unlike standard hourly or daily averages, 10-minute data captures rapid meteorological changes. This high-frequency data is invaluable for analyzing short-lived extreme weather events (like sudden squalls or flash floods), evaluating solar energy ramping, and validating high-resolution climate models.
Is the DWD data free to use?
Yes. The DWD publishes this data freely under its open data policy for research, commercial, and personal use. This explorer visualizes the official public release without modification.
What is the difference between global radiation and diffuse radiation?
Global radiation is the total amount of shortwave solar energy reaching the ground. It is composed of direct radiation (sunlight arriving in a straight line from the sun) and diffuse radiation (sunlight scattered by clouds or the atmosphere). DWD sensors measure these components, which is critical for solar power forecasting.
Can I download the raw German climate data?
Absolutely. After selecting a station and configuring your date range, navigate to the Data tab on the Dashboard and click the export button to download the observations as a CSV file.
Browse featured DWD pages
Quick links to curated station and state pages for the German climate explorer.