Longing for sunshine Rainy summer in Bonn and the region hits the mood
Bonn · Many have imagined the summer differently: Instead of hot days and blue skies, the sun rarely comes through the gray clouds. This can affect the mood. Weather expert Karsten Brandt explains how to avoid this.
"Summer is here, after all, and it's also surprisingly warm - after all, the average temperature is above 20 degrees," stresses Bonn weather expert Karsten Brandt. This is mainly due to the high night temperatures, he adds. The daytime temperatures, on the other hand, lack the usual summer heat. "In terms of mood, summer is missing because of this. Of course, we want to feel the sun and warmth on our skin. In recent years, we have been very spoiled there. That's why the feeling is different this year," Brandt said. And the rain, which hardly takes a day off, can also dampen the mood.
That, of course, leads people to develop a certain longing for warmth, sunshine and consistency, which is simply not being satisfied this summer, he said. "Certainly the uncertainty caused by Corona and the economic woes have also increased the yearning for summertime consistency," Brandt surmises. Sunshine is known to brighten the mood, making the not-very-summery summer seem all the more frustrating to many people.
But, "There aren't that many fewer hours of sunshine than in previous years. The sun's rays also come through the clouds and that's why you should take every chance to go outside this summer," says the weather expert, who also deals with bio-weather. The term refers to the study of the effects of weather on humans. According to Brandt, the clouds actually have an advantage: "The sun's radiation doesn't come through as strongly, which is why you can safely expose yourself to it for much longer."
The weather expert knows that you can get out of the winter blues even without blue skies and heat. He emphasizes, "Summer isn't just when it's 30 degrees and sunny." You can't influence the weather anyway, he says, but you can influence your expectations and your own behavior. "If you expect something from the weather, you can often be disappointed. But if you just take advantage of every day in the air, it brightens your mood, too." To ensure that the frequent change in weather doesn't stress you out too much in general, Brandt advises that you always expose yourself to the weather - in measured doses, of course. "Our body wants to be challenged. If I go out even when it's raining, sometimes when it's cool, sometimes when it's windy and sometimes when it's warm, the weather will affect me less than if I always just sit at home in artificial light."
The rainy summer also had its advantages this year, the weather expert said. The rain keeps the air clean and therefore almost free of pollen. That's very beneficial for allergy sufferers who otherwise suffer from hay fever in the summer, he said. "We have had one of the weakest pollen phases ever this year," Brandt says.
And there is still hope for somewhat warmer summer days: "In the middle of this week, it could get up to 30 degrees again, on Friday even over 30 degrees. But rain will not stay away," says the Bonn weather expert.
(Original text: Sofia Grillo, Translation: Mareike Graepel)
