Hamburg Weather: Between Nolde and "Tolles Wetter" – The North Remains Unpleasant
Well, now. If you thought yesterday that spring was finally getting serious, this morning put you straight. Here we go again: Hamburg weather is showing its rough side. Right on cue for midweek, a proper storm front is rolling over the city – and honestly, I’ve been sitting here for decades, but it’s rarely been this consistently grim. So: hat down, collar up, and your best bet is to get the right tunes on.
Squalls and Showers: What's Happening Today
The forecasts weren’t exaggerating. If you’re out this morning, you’ll get the full dose: a thick, grey blanket, with persistent, fine showers. And wind. Not a gentle breeze, but gusts that whip around the houses along the Elbe and in the higher areas. This low-pressure system seems determined to have us in its grip all day. Temperatures between 6 and 8 degrees – but with the wind, it feels more like December. It’ll probably only dry up after sunset. That’s the honest truth.
Nolde in Hamburg: Art as the Perfect Contrast
When the wind is lashing the rain across the Landungsbrücken outside, I know exactly where I’m heading. And this time, the escape is particularly appealing: the major exhibition "Nolde in Hamburg" at the Kunsthalle. What a contrast to this miserable weather! If you know Nolde, you know: here, the raw Nordic soul meets pure explosions of colour. Nolde loved the north, but he didn’t just copy the weather – he created a world of his own in defiance of it. A visit is like a defiant act: outside, it’s lashing rain; inside, flowers bloom in the boldest hues. It doesn’t get much more Hamburg than that.
- What? Nolde in Hamburg – a major retrospective
- Where? Hamburger Kunsthalle
- Why now? Because it’s the perfect antidote to today’s drizzly weather.
"Tolles Wetter" at the CCH: The Classic to Warm You Up
And then, when you get home, kick your wet shoes into the corner and pour yourself a cuppa, there’s only one way to musically stand up to the weather. Udo Lindenberg. Who doesn’t remember the recording of "Tolles Wetter (Live At CCH Hamburg, Germany / 1979)"? That very track, that moment at the Congress Center Hamburg, when Udo connected with the Hamburg audience through the song. It wasn’t just any show – it was a statement. The lyrics perfectly capture that quintessential Hamburg feeling: it’s raining, it’s storming, but we’re not letting it ruin our mood. "Tolles Wetter" is, for me, the unofficial anthem for days like this. When Udo was on stage back then, everyone in the hall was instantly on his side. You can almost picture it: the wind against the windows of the CCH, the lights flickering inside.
The Soundtrack for a Dreary Wednesday
So, dear Hamburgers, here’s my small, completely subjective list of what helps today:
- Morning: Thick jacket, umbrella – even if it turns inside out straight away, it’s the thought that counts.
- Noon: Head into the Kunsthalle, take in some Nolde. Recharge with colour.
- Evening: Put your feet up, tea or a cool beer, and crank up the stereo. "Tolles Wetter" by Udo, live from the CCH, at full volume.
The wind’s going to stick around for a while, and so will the rain. But with the right attitude – and the knowledge that we live in a city that produces artists like Nolde and musicians like Udo – the weather is just a footnote. We’ll get through it. And don’t forget the brolly – if only out of principle.