Significant Decline in Lightning Strikes Recorded Across Berlin and Brandenburg

Recent meteorological data has revealed a remarkable decrease in lightning activity throughout Berlin and Brandenburg during 2025. According to statistics compiled by the lightning detection services Aldis and Blids, both regions experienced a substantial reduction in the frequency of ground lightning strikes compared to the previous year.

In Brandenburg, a total of 4,633 ground lightning strikes were detected, marking a considerable decline from the 17,197 incidents recorded in 2024. Similarly, Berlin saw a drop to 105 ground strikes, down from 383 in the preceding year. The majority of these events occurred in June, with lesser activity in July and May, aligning with the typical seasonal pattern for thunderstorms in Germany.

On a national scale, the drop in lightning strikes was also significant. The sensor network operated by Austrian experts reported 99,930 ground strikes across Germany in 2025. This figure stands in stark contrast to the 209,619 ground strikes registered in 2024. A review of historical data dating back to 2005 indicates that there has not been a year with comparably low lightning activity as observed in 2025.

Meteorologists attribute this pronounced reduction to prevailing weather conditions during the traditionally thunderstorm-prone months. Notably, the summer of 2025 was unusually dry, except for certain periods in July and September. The German Weather Service confirmed that most months, particularly those from May through September, experienced below-average rainfall. Additionally, July, typically a peak month for thunderstorm activity, was characterized by lower-than-normal temperatures, further limiting the atmospheric energy necessary for the development of thunderstorms.

The lightning statistics provided by Aldis and Blids focus exclusively on ground strikes--instances where lightning makes direct contact with the earth--excluding discharges that occur solely within clouds. Moreover, each lightning event is counted only once, regardless of multiple discharges through the same lightning channel. This approach contrasts with other monitoring methods that may record multiple strikes from a single event, potentially inflating overall figures. For observers, multiple flashes may appear as flickering, but under this methodology, only a single strike is logged per event.

Experts highlight that the data underscores the complexity of weather systems and their influence on thunderstorm development. Sufficient moisture and energetic air masses are essential for thunderstorm formation, and the persistent dryness in 2025 significantly curtailed such atmospheric conditions. Consequently, the reduced number of lightning strikes serves as a clear indicator of the atypical weather patterns observed in Berlin, Brandenburg, and across Germany during the year.

In summary, the unprecedented drop in lightning activity throughout 2025 is closely linked to the overall dryness of the summer and a lack of favorable conditions for thunderstorm development. This trend is consistent across both regional and national levels, with meteorological data suggesting that future lightning activity will continue to depend heavily on broader climatic factors affecting moisture and temperature patterns.