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Image: OÖN Graphics
The year 2023, which is coming to an end, was, on a par with 2018, the warmest year in the 256-year history of measurements in Austria. In the mountains, temperatures were on average one degree above the long-term average from 1991 to 2020, and in low altitudes by 1.3 degrees. Compared to the old climate period (1961 to 1990), it was an average of 2.5 degrees warmer this year, and 2.2 degrees warmer in the mountains.
In Upper Austria, 2023 will take either first or second place. “This is not yet certain because these are preliminary data and the measured differences are in the range of hundredths of a degree,” says meteorologist Alexander Ohms from GeoSphere Austria. The values from the Linz measuring point are lower than in the record year 2018.
2023 started with record values. In Puchberg am Schneeberg the temperature rose to 19.7 degrees Celsius on January 1st. In Upper Austria, the highest value was reached in Wolfsegg: 16.6 degrees. A relatively mild January was followed by a February that was too mild. The average temperature difference to the long-term average was 1.3 degrees across Austria and 1.6 degrees in Upper Austria.
March was also too mild, with an average increase of 1.5 degrees. Freistadt reached its lowest point of 6.6 degrees below freezing on March 12th. The highest temperature was measured in Weyer on March 23rd: 21.5 degrees.
Image: OÖN Graphics
April does what he wants. Because the fourth of the month was out of line and was the only one cooler than the long-term average. The deviation is minus two degrees. The cold pole among the measuring points that are below 1000 meters above sea level was Freistadt again with minus 6.9 degrees on April 5th. The month was not only too cold, but also too humid. With an increase of 129 percent, rainfall was more than twice as abundant as the long-term average.
May was warm on average, but there was a third less rain. June 2023 brought the first heat wave. The hottest place in Germany was Bad Goisern: 36.2 degrees on June 22nd. The temperature deviation from the 30-year average is 1.4 degrees.
July was also warmer than average. The hottest place in Upper Austria was Braunau (36.8 degrees). Across the country, a drop in precipitation of 34 percent was calculated: too dry for this time of year.
In August, two powerful lows moved from the Mediterranean over the Alps and brought large amounts of rain to Upper Austria; it rained almost twice as much as average. Therefore, temperatures were only 0.6 percent above the long-term average.
Record autumn 2023
The fall then broke records. As reported, the warmest September was followed by the warmest October in measurement history. Compared to the climate period from 1991 to 2020, September was 3.4 degrees warmer and October was 2.8 degrees warmer. At the beginning of October, 28.6 degrees were measured in Weyer. November and December were far too mild and too wet.
There is good news for the groundwater level: after several dry periods, this year there was a fifth more rain than the long-term average.
Hail damage
Hail, frost, storms and floods: Due to climate change, extreme weather events are increasing, causing serious damage to agriculture. According to hail insurance, these amount to 250 million euros this year, compared to 170 million euros last year. For example, the late frost in April severely damaged the fruit crops, with frost damage alone amounting to 35 million euros.
“The consequences of global warming are fatal,” warns Kurt Weinberger, CEO of hail insurance.
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