Geography and urban development of Dresden temperatures are almost the same as those in cities in southwest Germany; on average 10.2°C per year. In hot summers, Dresden is between the hot Lusatia and the milder Ore Mountains. Both regions are characterised by strong winters: temperatures of −20°C are not impossible in Dresden. The driest months are February and March, with precipitation of 40 mm. Spring months have often been arid in the last couple of years (with less than 10 mm of precipitation). The most precipitation falls in July and August, at 60 mm per month. Due to its location on the banks of the Elbe
Central German Metropolitan Region Group for European Metropolitan Regions in Germany) was formed in 2001 which developed the concept of the Central German Metropolitan Region in 2012. In 2013, Dresden and Magdeburg dropped out of the club and the membership has been focused more on cities and towns around Leipzig and Halle. The largest of the eight member cities are Leipzig in Saxony and Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt. The member cities have changed over time and the current member cities are as follows: Except for Zwickau and Wittenberg, all towns hold the status of an independent city (i.e. a county-free city). Dresden and Magdeburg