Germany has this year seen the sunniest summer since records began in 1951, according to preliminary figures published by the country's National Meteorological Service (DWD) on Tuesday.

Sunshine hours this summer exceeded the average in the reference period (between 1961 and 1990) by around 35 percent, according to the German weather service. At 19.2 degrees Celsius, the average temperature was 2.9 degrees higher than during the reference period.

As in large parts of Europe, the summer in Germany was also particularly dry, and temperatures were the fourth warmest since 1881. "We may have experienced a soon-to-be typical summer in an era of climate change," warned DWD spokesperson Uwe Kirsche.

Due to the drought, farmers are expecting considerable yield losses. Many autumn crops such as corn, potatoes and sugar beet have "suffered massively," the German Farmers' Association (DBV) said last week.

Meanwhile, grain harvest volumes this year are to remain well below the average for the years 2014 to 2021. "The prolonged drought in many regions of the country shows once again that farmers are feeling the effects of climate change very directly," said DBV president Joachim Rukwied.

River shipping in Germany has also been severely affected by the drought. The Rhine, Europe's busiest waterway, saw water levels fall to record lows. This has limited the amount of cargo that ships can carry. Although water levels have risen again slightly in the last few weeks, the situation remains tense.

"We have to face the fact that in the long term, due to climate change, we will have to adjust to extreme periods of low water again and again," Minister of Transport Volker Wissing said on Monday.

In order to adapt to the changes, and to avoid bottlenecks on the Rhine, the German government and industry have teamed up to increase the number of river ships suitable for low water. In addition, stretches of the river will become pilot areas for optimized navigation during low water.