Things I Hate About Germany, Vol. II: The Weather Forecast

Germans are somewhat obsessed with the weather.  TV stations seem to donate a lot of time to detailed forecasts of every region of the country.  But what bugs me is that I have seen absolutely no mention, not once, ever, in the German broadcast media of weather elsewhere in Europe, let alone around the world.

I find this really odd, considering a) Germany is an integral part of the European Union, with key ties to Brussels, Paris, London, etc.; b) Germans are known to be incessant travelers, constantly going abroad for business or pleasure; c) there are some regions of Germany that are barely distinguishable from the regions just across the border with, say, France or Switzerland.  Plus, you’d think there would be some added entertainment value in occasionally mentioning that it’s gonna be rainy in London, or hot and sunny in Madrid, or chilly in Moscow.

But no.  The weather maps always show Germany as if it’s the only nation on the planet, as if the cold fronts materialized and disintegrated at the German border.  I can only wonder whether this a symptom of a persistent German worldview, that even today, in the EU era, sees Germany as the only important place in the world.