Ice, dust from the Sahara, floods and the warmest turn of the year: climate change caused severe turbulence this year. “All in all, the months that were clearly too warm are behind us. Burgenland’s capital, Eisenstadt, even recorded its driest year since measurements began in 1936,” emphasizes Ubimet expert Michele Salmi.
On New Year’s Eve 2021, exactly 18.3 degrees were registered in Berndorf (Lower Austria). This warmest value in 250 years can be surpassed in a few hours.
Graphic: Extreme weather in Austria
“This year it will be very mild, especially during the day in the higher valleys. Temperatures from Vorarlberg via the Ausserfern to the Mostviertel reach 18, and in some cases even 19 degrees,” says Ubimet expert Nikolas Zimmermann.
At the end of January 2022, the (winter) world looked very different with huge masses of fresh snow in western Austria.
Low over northwest Africa
A low point over Northwest Africa then caused the following antics: large amounts of dust from the Sahara were pushed up and shipped to us. “My ski trips in March took me through desert-like snow,” recalled Mount Everest legend Peter Habeler. Down in the valleys, too, the weather conditions resembled the Sahel rather than the homeland of the verdant forest. For example, the water level of Lake Neusiedl was lower than ever in spring. A situation that worsened in the summer.
Storm in Carinthia in June
But those weren’t the only extremes that plagued us this year. The storms of June 28 are probably etched in the memory of the inhabitants of the Carinthian valley. This region was hit twice. First, the strongest wind gust since measurements began (1990) raged over the country at 128 km/h. Then 121 liters of rain per square meter fell overnight – within six hours! The storms of August 18 in Carinthia and the heavy rainfall in Vorarlberg a day later were also devastating. Finally, extreme weather in mid-December in Upper Austria, where terrible freezing rain covered almost the entire state.
There is currently a gaping void of snow – even in the highest regions. Disappointed holidaymakers – as in Schruns in Vorarlberg – can only be offered a puny remnant of the slopes with great effort, laboriously saved by snow cannons. In the ski area of St. Corona am Wechsel (Lower Austria), the summer toboggan run is even closed for this reason.
According to Zimmermann, the year was especially dry in the south and southeast with up to 40 percent less precipitation. With a deviation of more than plus 1 degree compared to the long-term average (from 1991 to 2020), the past year is probably in third place, just behind 2018 (1st) and 2014 (2nd).
dr Kurt Weinberger, director of hail insurance, fears that the coming year will be very turbulent climatologically: “We have to take into account the increasing intensity and frequency of precipitation and hail, but also floods and mudslides.”
“Warner in the Desert”
The “Warner in the Desert” denounces the sealing: “Since January 1, almost 42 million square meters of agricultural land in Austria has been closed forever. This affects the overall situation and will exacerbate the drought.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
