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WEATHER

After mini tornado and floods should Austria expect a summer of extremes?

Extreme weather events have become more common and more dangerous worldwide. This week Austria experienced some of its own extreme weather with thunderstorms and even a 'small' tornado hitting the country.

After mini tornado and floods should Austria expect a summer of extremes?
A tourist couple shelters from the rain under an umbrella decorated with famous artworks of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt in Vienna, Austria. (Photo by ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP)

Heavy rainfall led to flooded cellars and muddy roads in Lower Austria on Tuesday afternoon.

In Styria, Graz residents recorded what seemed to be a tornado in the city (the head of the Styrian meteorological agency later confirmed a “small” tornado there), with large amounts of rainfall causing havoc.

Austria’s meteorological institute Geosphere Austria had already warned of thunderstorms, some of them heavy, moving north through the country—an alert that included the possibility of landslides and flooding. 

The warnings have been plentiful. Recently, experts alerted that global warming would make extreme weather events much more frequent and stronger, as The Local reported.

Summers, in particular, could see torrential downpours, hail storms as well as heat waves. 

Four heatwaves occurred in 2023, two of which lasted an unusually long time, lasting up to 18 days (July) and 16 days (August).

READ ALSO: How to protect yourself during storm season in Austria

So what about this summer?

There is nothing to indicate that people in Austria will have some relief this summer.

In fact, it has been a warmer than average year so far, with record temperatures throughout. According to Geosphere Austria, the recent winter was one of the two warmest on record.

February followed the trend, and it was the hottest in Austrian history. Parts of Austria also saw record heat in March, while there was “summer in April” in the Alpine country. GeoSphere Austria expects the country to be heading towards a hotter summer season also in 2024. 

Already in June, the probability of above-average temperatures is 60 percent.

In July, above-average temperatures will occur in about 60 percent of the cases. The probability of average temperatures is 20 percent, the same as the chance of below-average temperatures. 

The probability of above-average temperatures in August is just under 80 percent. Average temperatures occur in about a quarter of the cases, and the likelihood of below-average temperatures is less than 10 percent.

READ ALSO: What is Austria’s official emergency-warning phone app and do I need it?

The institute does point out that a seasonal forecast is not an exact forecast in the sense of a 3-day overview but a “rough estimate of the average temperatures conditions in the Eastern Alps”. 

It may seem counterintuitive to think that Austria could be heading for a summer of drought and heavy rains. Still, experts explain that the hotter temperatures make extreme events more likely.

And Austria is more affected by warming than the global average, mainly because it is located in the middle of the continent, and land masses warm up faster than oceans. 

Because of that, the Alpine Republic has already been 2C warmer on average over the last 30 years, almost twice as much as the global temperature increase compared to pre-industrial times.

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WEATHER

VIDEOS: Austria hit by heavy flooding after severe storms

The recent high water level on the Danube River has lead to widespread flooding. Residents in Linz and several Lower Austrian cities were hit as heavy rains caused damage.

VIDEOS: Austria hit by heavy flooding after severe storms

The recent days of heavy rain have led to the Danube River rising dramatically to seven meters. The high water levels have resulted in widespread flooding across Linz and Lower Austrian cities, causing chaos and disruption, reported Kurier

In Linz, popular recreational spots such as the Alturfahrer Danube beach are now completely underwater. Meteorologists warn that the situation could worsen, with water levels expected to peak during the night of June 6th.

410 incidents since Monday afternoon

Emergency services in the affected regions, such as firefighters, have been working constantly during the recent days, handling more than 410 incidents since Monday afternoon. In Lower Austria, the areas most affected are Tulln, St. Pölten, Melk, and Krems, where the flooding has affected streets, basements, and private homes.

Due to the flooding, areas in the district of Korneuburg had to be partially closed. Additionally, in places like Amstetten and Kritzendorf in the district of Tulln, the Danube overflowed its banks.

The situation in the district of Krems is also severe, especially in the southern villages and the town of Senftenberg. To address the crisis, 27 fire brigades with over 200 fire fighters were put in action. Throughout one night, they handled more than 250 emergency calls.

Vienna has also been affected by the flooding, even if significantly less than the already mentioned regions.

The city has issued a bathing ban for the New Danube following the flooding in the area. The ban, which also prohibits water sports and boating, was implemented for hygienic reasons.

Ships not allowed on the Danube 

Due to high water levels, all navigation on the Danube River in Austria has been prohibited since Tuesday afternoon, except for the Wiener Donaukanal, reported Die Presse.

The closure is a safety measure which affects both goods and passenger shipping, as well as recreational boating.

According to Christoph Caspar, spokesman for Via Donau, It is currently impossible to say how long the closure will last.

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