With an increase of 1.2 degrees compared to the long-term average, it was “much too warm” in Austria in 2021, with heavy thunderstorms characterizing the weather. This emerges from the “Climate Status Report 2021”, which was presented at the “Climate Day 2022” conference in Vienna.
According to the report, prepared by the Climate Change Center Austria (CCCA) in cooperation with the Central Institute for Meteorology (ZAMG), last summer was cooler than the previous ones. Nevertheless, it was the ninth warmest since the beginning of measurement history. June was even the third hottest since records began.
The distribution of precipitation over the year also deviated significantly from the average. While February, March, April, June and September were unusually dry, July and August saw 38 and 30 percent more rain than usual, respectively.
In addition, there was an unusually large number of extreme weather events in Austria – the hailstorms on June 24 in Upper and Lower Austria are memorable. According to the report, these were “unprecedented in Central Europe for at least several decades”.
Austria particularly affected
The report also shows that Austria is particularly badly affected by global warming. The temperature increase is twice the global average. This is probably due to Austria’s continental climate. The air warms faster over the mainland than over the thermally sluggish oceans.
According to the report, extreme weather events in Austria will continue to increase in the 21st century. That is why investments, advance warning and early warning systems are needed.
Source: Nachrichten
