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Help and frequently asked questions

Answers about the report and the data, ordering and payment, formats and delivery, and usage. The report and the ordering interface are both in German.

Last updated: August 2026

Report and data

What exactly do I get?
A PDF report documenting the official German Weather Service (DWD) data for your location and period, day by day: precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature and, where the station measures them, wind gusts and snow depth, the bad-weather-day classification (A/B/C) and, where the weather station publishes them, the deviation from the 1991 to 2020 climate normals. The Profi package additionally includes the hour-by-hour analysis on adverse-weather, heavy-rain and storm event days (precipitation, temperature and wind gusts; heavy-rain and storm days only count for the element you selected, and days filled from a neighbouring station only with a classification) as well as the daily table and, where the station provides hourly values, the hourly values of your selected elements as a CSV.
Where does the data come from?
Exclusively from the German Weather Service (DWD): station observations, the official bad-weather-day classification and, where the weather station publishes them, the 1991 to 2020 long-term normals. Every source is cited in the report and publicly verifiable via the DWD.
Which locations and periods are supported?
Locations in Germany, from 1996 up to the day before yesterday. The DWD publishes its daily station values with a lag of roughly two days, so the day before yesterday is the most recent documentable day. For the more recent months the DWD has often completed only formal or automated checks - the report marks such days as a provisional DWD quality level, because the values can still change slightly during the DWD final quality check. The report uses the nearest weather station with sufficient coverage; its name and distance are shown. The free preview tells you in advance which data is available.
Which period should I choose?
It depends on the purpose. For a single damage event (storm, hail, heavy rain) choose the day of the damage plus one day on each side - so an event that ran past midnight is captured too. For a construction delay under VOB/B or a heating-cost argument, take the full month or several months so the number of impeded days, or the deviation from the long-term mean, is meaningful. Up to 3 months the Basis package is enough; for longer periods up to 12 months choose Profi. The free preview shows in advance which data is available for your period.

Prices and packages

What if there is no official classification for my period?
An official bad-weather-day classification is not available for every station and every single day - for example when the responsible station is missing input values for a day; in addition, many stations do not classify all year round. For days without an official classification the report can compute the rating from the daily values using the official DWD criteria, clearly marked as our own calculation. The official criterion precipitation from 7 to 14 h MEZ cannot be determined from daily values and is left out - in this respect the own rating is conservative: days that only this criterion would have rated can be missing, and the omission itself never adds days. Fresh snow is approximated from the increase in snow depth and is marked as an approximation in the report. You can enable or disable this own calculation before purchase.
Can I turn the own A/B/C calculation on or off?
Yes. Before purchase you decide whether the report should compute its own rating - using the official DWD criteria - for days that have no official DWD classification. With the option ticked the report includes this own calculation, clearly marked as such. Without it the report shows only the official classification, and days without an official rating carry no A/B/C rating. The measured daily values (precipitation, temperature, wind, snow) are fully included either way.
Does the station value apply exactly to my location?
Station data applies to the location of the measuring station, not to the metre for your target site. Two things matter: small-scale events such as local heavy-rain cells or gusts can differ at the site; and altitude counts - if the station is much higher or lower than your address (a mountain station versus a valley), temperatures in particular deviate, on average about 0.65 degrees per 100 metres of altitude. The station picker shows each station's altitude above sea level, so for a valley address you can deliberately choose a lower station rather than a mountain one. The report states the station, its distance and its altitude transparently.
Can I choose which weather station is used?
Yes. By default the report uses the nearest station with sufficient coverage. In the free preview you can pick another nearby station as the reference under "Andere Wetterstation wählen" (choose a different weather station) - each shown with its distance, altitude above sea level and data coverage. Mind the altitude: a station at a similar altitude to your address is more representative (for example a valley station rather than a mountain one). The chosen station is named in the report.
What happens on individual days when my station has no measurement?
If the chosen station is missing a value on individual days, those days appear as "k.A." (not available) and are excluded from every statistic. With the Profi package you can additionally enable "fill missing days from a neighbouring station" ("Fehlende Tage aus Nachbarstation ergänzen"): the report then looks for a suitable neighbour - nearby (up to 30 km) and at a comparable altitude (up to 300 metres difference) - that actually measured that day. Precipitation is transferred unchanged. By default the temperature is only approximated and is explicitly an estimate, not a measurement: it uses the mean atmospheric lapse rate of 0.65 degrees per 100 metres of altitude (a location at greater altitude is on average cooler), following the formula temperature(main station) = temperature(neighbour) minus 0.65 degrees times (altitude of main station minus altitude of neighbour) divided by 100 metres. Because the actual decrease of temperature with altitude varies (for example during temperature inversions or with local cold air), the true value can differ; the filled temperature should therefore be treated with caution and not as a reliable measurement. Wind and snow are not filled. Filled days are marked with "*" in the table and listed below it with station, distance, altitude difference and - where the altitude correction was applied - the temperature correction; filled values are deliberately excluded from the statistics. If no suitable station is found, the day stays documented as "k.A." - no values are invented. You may also pick the substitute station yourself (the 30 km limit still applies then, the altitude limit does not) and, if you prefer, have the temperature transferred unchanged without the altitude correction; the report states both accordingly.
What do the comparison stations in the report show?
Both the Basis and Profi reports compare the main station against further nearby DWD stations over the same period (Basis 1, Profi up to 3 - where suitable stations are available nearby). This shows whether the documented weather was a station-specific effect or occurred consistently across the region. For each station the table lists distance, adverse-weather days (A/B/C), precipitation days, frost days, days with storm-force gusts, precipitation total and data coverage; your report's main station appears as the first, highlighted row for a direct comparison. Where a station does not measure a quantity, it shows "k.A." - never a false zero.
Does the report also show the hour-by-hour weather (rain, temperature, wind)?
Yes, in the Profi package. You set the scope yourself before purchase. The default is "Alle Ereignistage" (all event days): for every adverse-weather day (A/B/C) and every heavy-rain or storm event day - the latter two only for the element you selected - the report then documents the hourly course from the DWD hourly data, each with every element you selected; a day whose values were filled from a neighbouring station only counts when it carries a classification. If you choose "Kompakte Auswahl" (compact selection) instead, the report presents at most 10 event days hour by hour - ranked by official classification, number of affected elements and date - the 3 highest-ranked among them with every selected element and the remaining ones as a short card for the element that triggered the day; the report lists these maxima in its selection rule. A day that reached an official warning threshold can fall outside that selection. The remaining event days are named in the report and documented with all daily values in the daily table and, where the station provides hourly values for them, in the hourly series of the CSV file. The report documents precipitation, temperature and wind gusts (each element can be switched on or off individually; which elements are preselected follows the chosen purpose - without a specific purpose selection all three are on): precipitation with the rain window, peak intensity and any reached official heavy-rain warning threshold (markant from 15 mm/1h or 20 mm/6h, Unwetter from 25/35, extrem above 40/60); temperature with the daily course and the hours below 0 °C (frost); wind gusts with the peak gust per hour and the hours at or above Beaufort 8 (storm-force gusts). If a value reaches an official threshold, the intensity corresponds to that level - this is a classification of the measured values, not a statement that the DWD actually issued a warning. Where the station additionally measures 5-minute precipitation, the report states the strongest 5-minute peak of the day: it shows how hard the rain fell briefly, which an hourly total averages away. The time given marks the END of the measuring interval; the peak is stated from 0.5 mm - if the station does not take this measurement or the day's strongest peak stayed below that, the figure is omitted. The PDF shows a compact hourly strip per presented event day; the complete hour-by-hour series of all measured hours of the period is included in the CSV file. Snow is only measured daily by the DWD (morning snow depth) and is in the daily table. Not every station provides all hourly values; the station picker shows which station has hourly data, and where a resolution is missing the report notes it. The daily values and A/B/C classification are unaffected.
Can I quickly look up the weather on a single day?
Yes. Under "Wetterrückblick" (weather lookup) you can retrieve the key official DWD values for a single day and place in Germany, free and without an account (maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation, snow depth and, where the station measures wind, the strongest wind gust). This is a quick single-day lookup; for a robust, documented record over a whole period with classification, deviation from the long-term mean (where the station publishes it) and integrity verification, create a PDF report.
Can I use the report for heating and utility costs?
Yes, where the station records the daily mean temperature. The report can then show the heating degree days (Gradtagzahl G20/15) per month and as a total; if that series is missing for the period, the report explicitly marks the energy analysis as not included. With the purpose "Energie - Heizkosten / Verbrauchsvergleich" this energy section is preselected; with any other purpose (including "Allgemein") it is not preselected but can be switched on individually in the composition step. The degree days are a common basis for comparing heating-energy consumption on a weather-adjusted basis - for example the comparison with the previous period that Germany's heating-cost regulation (Heizkostenverordnung) has required on the annual bill since the end of 2021 where billing is consumption-based (actual consumption or heat-cost-allocator readings), under § 6a (3) no. 5 HeizkostenV; the regulation does not prescribe a particular method, but it does require one that follows the recognised rules of technology (§ 6a (3) sentence 3 HeizkostenV), and compliance is presumed for the simplifications published in the Bundesanzeiger (sentence 4). The report provides the data; you or your adviser perform the weather adjustment and any assessment of a bill. It is a data documentation, not energy consulting.

Guide: comparing heating costs weather-adjusted (German)

Official source: German Weather Service - degree days

Can I add a case or file reference?
Yes. Before purchase you can enter a case reference or your own identifier. It then appears on the report - in the title block and in the footer of every page - so you can assign the report directly to a matter, mandate or claim. The field is optional and stays empty if you leave it blank.
What does the purpose selection in the wizard do?
In the first step of the wizard you can state what you need the report for (e.g. insurance claim for heavy rain, storm damage, construction/VOB). The selection works in two ways. Two purpose-related sections are preselected or not by it: the heating degree days are preselected only for the purpose "Energie - Heizkosten / Verbrauchsvergleich", the KOSTRA classification for Starkregen, Bau (VOB) and Allgemein - both can be switched on or off individually in the composition step for any purpose. The remaining components (such as the hourly analysis and its elements) are pre-configured to fit and remain individually selectable before purchase. In addition, the purpose and the selected elements determine which overview charts the report draws: precipitation and temperature always, where measured; a wind chart for the storm purpose or with the hourly wind element selected; a snow chart for the snow-load purpose. The purpose is printed on the report as the "purpose stated by the customer", does not change any measured values, never adds paid options automatically and is not an assessment. Without your own selection the preselected purpose "Allgemein" applies: from the Basis package up the KOSTRA classification is then preselected (the free report does not include it), and the heating-degree-days section is not preselected.
What is the "composition record" at the end of the PDF?
A short section at the end of every report that records what the report was composed of: the stated purpose (labelled as the customer's statement), the form of the daily table (full, compact or monthly - the condensed forms can be chosen in the Profi report for periods over 3 months), the scope and selection rule of the hourly analysis (all event days or a compact selection), and included add-ons such as the KOSTRA classification or the radar detail analysis. Every recipient can see what the report contains and why - and the integrity verification thus covers not only the values but also the composition.

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Radar detail analysis

What is the radar detail analysis?
A paid add-on to Basis and Profi (surcharge €20; Basis with radar €39, Profi with radar €69). For up to 3 self-selected radar detail days ("Radar-Detailtage"; up to 5 with Profi) we analyse the official 1 km radar precipitation data of the DWD (RADOLAN) for the 1 km grid cell of your address - an area estimate, not a point measurement at the property: the hourly precipitation course of that grid cell, the comparison with the nearest DWD station (where it provides hourly values for the day), and a radar image of the precipitation field around the address. After purchase you can additionally download the radar images as image files in a ZIP archive. Prices and combinations are also listed on the pricing page.

Prices and combinations

Which periods are the radar data available for?
For the entire period the DWD publishes its hourly radar precipitation data (RADOLAN RW) for: from June 2005 up to the day before yesterday. Days within the last roughly 18 months come from the hourly files the DWD provides for individual retrieval, older days from its monthly archives - the same official data, only delivered differently. For archive days the report takes a few minutes longer to produce, because the relevant monthly package is retrieved from the DWD and the chosen day unpacked from it. The most recent year can be briefly unavailable while the DWD moves it into the archive. If a chosen day cannot be retrieved, no purchase is completed for it.
What do the radar images show and what do the squares mean?
A section of the precipitation field around your address (north at the top). Each square is a 1 km by 1 km grid cell; its colour shows the precipitation amount estimated by the DWD for that cell in the respective hour (radar-based, calibrated against more than a thousand ground stations) - an area estimate, not a point measurement. An open red circle marks your address (open so the cell underneath stays visible); a dark square marks the comparison station if it lies within the section. Per radar detail day you receive an overview image of the most intense hour plus one image per available hour of the day - usually all of them; if an hour is missing from the DWD archive, the report says so.
Can the radar really state the rain amount per square (1 km)?
Yes - the official RADOLAN product of the DWD provides exactly this: an hourly precipitation value for each 1 km grid cell. The radar does not measure directly at the ground but the signals reflected by raindrops; the DWD continuously calibrates these values against more than a thousand ground measuring stations (RADOLAN method). The value per square is therefore the best available areal 1 km estimate for that cell, not a point measurement exactly at the property. Short, very small-scale rain peaks can be underestimated in the hourly value.
How accurate is the radar value for my property?
It is the best available areal 1 km estimate (the operational DWD product RADOLAN RW) for the cell in which your address lies - not a point measurement exactly at the property. The analysis documents the precipitation; whether an insured event such as a flood on the property occurred depends on the individual case - supporting evidence such as photos is advisable. Radar is not suitable for hail, and for wind or storm damage the nearest station is the usual reference point.

Monthly analyses: soil moisture and global radiation

What are the monthly analyses?
Two independently selectable parts of the Profi report: soil moisture per month and global radiation per month, each as monthly values for the 1 km grid cell of your address from the official DWD gridded datasets. Both are free of charge - the Profi report costs the same with them as without. You choose in the form whether you want them; only the purpose "Landwirtschaft / Garten" preselects the soil moisture - deselectable there too. They are not offered with the Basis report. Both are independent of the radar detail analysis and contain no radar data.

Prices and services

Are soil moisture and global radiation measurements at my address?
No. Both are modelled DWD grid values - areal estimates for the grid cell in which your address lies, not a measurement by an instrument on the property. The report labels them accordingly as estimates and names the data basis. For drought questions (irrigation, garden and agriculture) and for classifying solar yields they are the DWD's nationwide official reference dataset.
For which periods and places are the monthly analyses available?
The free preview checks availability for your address and period before you decide: it shows per month whether values exist. Months without values appear in the report as "k.A." and are never shown as 0.

Ordering and payment

What does the report cost?
A one-time payment of €19 (Basis, up to 3 months, with 1 comparison station if available) or €49 (Profi, up to 12 months, up to 3 comparison stations, hour-by-hour analysis of precipitation, temperature and wind, plus CSV). These are final prices incl. VAT, no subscription, no recurring costs.

Prices and packages

Which package do I need - Basis, Profi or Radar?
Basis (€19) is enough for a record over a shorter period (up to 3 months) with daily values, the official A/B/C classification and one comparison station (where available). Choose Profi (€49) for longer periods (up to 12 months), the hour-by-hour documentation of heavy rain, frost and storm, the CSV file, up to 3 comparison stations, and filling missing days from a neighbouring station. The radar detail analysis is an add-on to both packages: for up to 3 self-selected radar detail days the 1 km radar precipitation as an area estimate for the grid cell of your address, up to 5 with Profi - useful above all for local heavy rain and flooding.

Packages in detail Radar detail analysis

Is there a free report?
Yes. You can create a free report for a period of up to 7 days - free and without an account. It carries a watermark and contains no comparison station, so it is meant for trying the product. For a report without a watermark and for longer periods, choose the Basis or Profi package.
Who is my contractual partner for the purchase?
The seller and payment processor is Digistore24. Digistore24 handles payment, invoicing, VAT and the withdrawal process and sends you the order confirmation with the invoice. WetterNachweis produces and delivers the report.
How do I get my invoice? Can it be in my company name?
The invoice is issued and emailed by Digistore24. It is a proper VAT invoice and can be used for accounting and input-tax deduction. In the Digistore24 checkout you can enter your company name and, where applicable, your VAT ID, so the invoice is made out to your business. For any invoice questions, please contact Digistore24.
Can I withdraw from the purchase?
Yes. As a consumer you have a 14-day right of withdrawal from your purchase; it is handled by Digistore24 as the seller. Under Digistore24's withdrawal model the right stays with you for the full 14 days, even after the report has been provided. If you withdraw and are refunded, the report is cancelled and is no longer valid (the authenticity check will then show it as invalid).

Right of withdrawal

I made a typo - the address or case reference is wrong. What can I do?
Before the purchase: the last page before payment repeats the location, period, package and - if you entered one - the case reference, so you can spot the mistake and rebuild the report at no cost. After the purchase an issued report cannot be edited, and it cannot be re-issued in corrected form: every report is its own document with its own report number, and a document that may already have been passed on must not change after the fact. The route is therefore withdrawal within 14 days via Digistore24 as the seller; the wrong report is cancelled and its number shown as invalid, and you then create the report again with the correct details. You are welcome to write to us as well at info@wetternachweis.de quoting your report number so we can match up the case.

Right of withdrawal

Do I need an account?
No. There is no registration. You enter a location and period, see the free preview and buy if you wish. The finished report is available to download after payment - usually in under a minute; very large reports and radar days from the DWD monthly archive take a few minutes; it is additionally sent to you by email.

Formats and delivery

How fast do I receive the report?
After payment the report is generated automatically - usually in under a minute; very large reports and radar days from the DWD monthly archive take a few minutes - and is then ready to download.
I paid but the report is not here yet - what should I do?
Usually the report is ready within a minute of payment; very large reports and radar days from the DWD monthly archive take a few minutes. If it is not there yet: first check your spam or promotions folder, where the confirmation occasionally lands. With prepayment - or if you agreed a later payment date with Klarna - the payment confirmation from Digistore24 only arrives once you pay; that can take several days. Once it does, the report is generated automatically and without any action from you (usually within a few minutes). You can also reach your report again via the download link on the order page for as long as that link is valid, and with the report number you can view its origin and key data under "Bericht prüfen" (verify report). If the report still does not appear after a while, reach us via the contact page.

Verify a report

Do I also receive the report by email?
Yes. The PDF is additionally sent to you as an email attachment (the Profi package includes the CSV too), so the report stays in your inbox independent of the download link - provided the attachment was delivered. Very large attachments (extensive radar images, for example) are not sent along; that file then sits on your download page instead.
How long is the download link valid?
30 days. The email attachment remains available beyond that, provided it was delivered - very large radar attachments are not sent along and exist only on the download page. After that we can re-supply the report on request for up to 3 years from the purchase (email info@wetternachweis.de with your report number).
Which formats does the report come in?
As a PDF (all packages). The Profi package additionally contains a CSV file for Excel with the full daily table and, where the station provides hourly values, the hourly values of your selected elements (precipitation, temperature, wind gusts), hour by hour across all measured hours of the period. The report is produced in German, including the CSV column headings - German is the language German courts, clients and insurers expect.
Is there a cover letter for the report?
Yes. While the download link is valid, the order page of every paid report offers, under "Anschreiben erstellen" (create cover letter), a pre-worded cover letter in German - addressed, at your choice, to an insurer, a construction project or an authority. It introduces the report as weather documentation for the location and period, can be edited directly in the text field, copied to the clipboard or downloaded as a text file. The free report does not include a cover letter.

Technical terms explained

What are heating degree days (Gradtagzahl G20/15)?
The Gradtagzahl G20/15 measures how cold and heating-intensive a period was. Only days with a daily mean temperature below the 15 degrees Celsius heating limit are counted; for each such day the difference between the 20 degrees Celsius room temperature and the daily mean is summed up (this is how the German Weather Service computes and publishes its Gradtage under VDI 3807 Part 1 as open data). A high value indicates a cold, heating-intensive period, a low value a mild one. The report lists the figures per month where the station records the daily mean temperature and the energy section is selected in the composition - it is preselected for the purpose "Energie - Heizkosten / Verbrauchsvergleich" and can be switched on individually for any other purpose. The "Zeitraum" (period) column shows which days of the month are documented; the heating days (the number of days counted below the heating limit) and the degree-day total always refer only to those documented days of the selected period, not to the entire calendar month.

Official source: German Weather Service - degree days

What is a climate normal and the 1991-2020 reference period?
A climate normal is the long-term average of a weather variable over a fixed 30-year period, the reference period. The 30-year span is recommended by the World Meteorological Organization because it smooths out the random variation of individual years. The German Weather Service currently uses the 1991 to 2020 reference period; comparing your measured values with the normal shows whether a period was unusually warm, cold, wet or dry. Not every station publishes these normals; where they are missing, the report shows the monthly values without the comparison columns.

Official source: German Weather Service - climate normals

What is the ten-year mean in the report?
Besides the official 1991-2020 climate normal, the report can additionally show, in the deviation table, the mean of the ten calendar years before the respective month - legal practice frequently argues with such a more recent mean alongside the official reference period. It is computed from the published daily values of the same weather station and is expressly marked in the report as our own calculation; it is not an officially published normal and does not replace the official normal. It is only shown when the station measured the respective calendar month completely in all ten preceding years; otherwise "k.A." (not available) is shown there - a mean over fewer years would look like a ten-year mean without being one. If no month of the period yields a value, the column is omitted entirely. The column "Abweichung vom Mittel 91-20" (deviation from the 1991-2020 mean) always refers to the official normal, not to the ten-year mean.
What do the bad-weather-day classes A, B and C mean, and which values apply?
The German Weather Service classifies calendar days by how strongly the weather hinders construction work, using criteria it developed jointly with the then Bundesanstalt für Arbeit (today the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, the Federal Employment Agency): not hindered (-), unfavourable (C), impeded (B) or very severely impeded (A). Several variables are checked (air temperature, 24-hour precipitation, precipitation during working hours, snow depth and fresh snow); the least favourable element determines the class of the whole day. It is calendar days that are classified, Saturdays and Sundays included; whether you would have worked on a classified day follows from your construction schedule, not from the classification. Examples for class A: daily maximum below 0 degrees Celsius with a low of -7 degrees Celsius or colder, from 30 mm of daily precipitation, or from 40 cm of snow depth. The full criteria table per class is explained in our guide article on bad-weather days; the authoritative reference is the official DWD criteria overview.

Guide: bad-weather days explained (German)

Official source: German Weather Service - bad-weather days

What is wind force in Beaufort (Bft)?
The Beaufort scale rates wind force in 13 steps from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane); it is tabulated for the mean wind speed. The report shows the strongest wind gust of a day in metres per second, plus the Beaufort step whose range that gust value falls into - where the station measures wind; where it does not, the entry reads "k.A." (not available). Wind force 8 starts at about 17.2 metres per second (around 62 km/h); it is termed a gale and marks the threshold from which the report counts a day with storm-force gusts. (The official German term Sturmtag is defined via the 10-minute mean wind and is therefore not used in the report.) German usage calls Beaufort 9 (around 75 km/h) a Sturm; in the English Beaufort naming that step is a strong gale, and storm is Beaufort 10.

Official source: German Weather Service - Beaufort scale

What are KOSTRA return periods?
KOSTRA-DWD-2020 is the official heavy-rain statistics of the German Weather Service: on a 5-km grid covering all of Germany it states, per duration, which precipitation amount is statistically reached or exceeded only once every 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 years on average. From that dataset the report shows an extract for the grid cell of your address: five durations from 15 minutes to 72 hours and the return periods 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 years. It also states the cell coordinates so the values can be verified at the official source. From the Basis package up, the table is preselected for the purposes "Starkregen / Überschwemmung", "Bau (VOB/B § 6)" and "Allgemein"; for other purposes (for example storm or ice) it is not, because rain return periods usually do not answer the question there. In the composition step it can be switched on or off individually for any purpose. Important: these are statistical design values for classifying a measured rainfall ("how rare is this much rain here?"), not measurements of the event itself.

Guide: return periods explained

Official source: German Weather Service - KOSTRA-DWD-2020

Still have questions?

For questions about the report content, reach us by email at info@wetternachweis.de. For questions about the purchase, invoice or withdrawal, please contact Digistore24.

Check for free and without obligation which official DWD data is available for your location and period.

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