Annual mean temperatures (click here) for the city of Luxembourg are now above the 30-year averages for the last century. In fact, the 1951-1980, 1961-1990 and 1971-2000 mean annual temperatures – around 9°C – are now regularly exceeded: since entering the 21st century, annual mean temperatures have been between 9.3°C (2001) and 11.3°C (2007). Other meteorological stations across the country show similar results. Further analysis of the data suggests that the average air temperature in Luxembourg has also increased during the winter and this, along with longer frost-free periods, has had a significant impact on the phenology of plants and the life cycles of animals, birds and insects. Preliminary results from an ongoing study suggest that mean annual temperatures are expected to reach up to 11.6°C for the period 2071-2100 [Figure 1].
The seasonal distribution of precipitation has varied considerably over the last 130 years. This is mostly due to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns, with an increase in westerly atmospheric fluxes during winter months, which have reportedly been responsible for significant redistribution of winter rainfall totals over the past 30 years. Combined with higher air temperatures, this has led to increased flood frequency in most national river basins.
