Editing Lower Saxony (section)

=== Climate ===

Lower Saxony falls climatically into the [[Temperateness|north temperate zone]] of central Europe that is affected by prevailing [[Westerlies]] and is located in a transition zone between the [[maritime climate]] of [[Western Europe]] and the [[continental climate]] of [[Eastern Europe]]. This transition is clearly noticeable within the state: while the northwest experiences an Atlantic (North Sea coastal) to Sub-Atlantic climate, with comparatively low variations in temperature during the course of the year and a surplus water budget, the climate towards the southeast is increasingly affected by the Continent. This is clearly shown by greater temperature variations between the summer and winter halves of the year and in lower and more variable amounts of precipitation across the year. This sub-continental effect is most sharply seen in the Wendland, in the Weser Uplands (Hamelin to Göttingen) and in the area of Helmstedt. The highest levels of precipitation are experienced in the Harz because the Lower Saxon part forms the [[Windward and leeward|windward side]] of this mountain range against which [[orographic rain]] falls. The average annual temperature is {{convert|8|°C}}; {{convert|7.5|°C}} in the {{Lang|de|[[Altes Land]]|italic=no}} and {{convert|8.5|°C}} in the [[Kreis Cloppenburg#Climate|district of Cloppenburg]].