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Austria braces for extreme weather with heatwave and thunderstorms

Austria is set to experience a meteorological rollercoaster this week, with scorching temperatures and sunshine quickly transitioning to turbulent thunderstorms and heavy rain

Published: 15 July 2024 13:26 CEST

Austria braces for extreme weather with heatwave and thunderstorms

Severe thunderstorms. Photo: Nix / Unsplash

The week will kick off with a high-pressure system dominating the weather patterns, bringing clear skies and soaring temperatures across much of the country.

Sun-seekers can expect the mercury to climb as high as 36C in some areas, especially in the Southeast.

However, the summer conditions won’t last long. A disruptive weather system will push in from the west by Monday evening, bringing severe thunderstorms, particularly in the mountainous regions of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Pinzgau, and East Tyrol.

These storms, as predicted by SkywarnAustria, could unleash torrential downpours, hailstorms, and powerful gusts of wind exceeding 80 km/h.

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

Overnight, the storm front will sweep across Austria, reaching Flachgau and Upper Austria by the early hours of Tuesday morning. While the south and east may escape the worst weather, enjoying continued sunshine and warmth, the northern Alps will be drenched by rain showers and rattled by thunder and lightning.

Wednesday will bring a brief respite from the extreme weather, with scattered showers and cloudy skies in some areas while others enjoy sunny spells. However, the respite will be short-lived as thunderstorms are set to return to the mountains in the afternoon and evening, bringing renewed risk of heavy rain and lightning.

By Thursday, the weather will begin to settle down, with sunny skies returning and temperatures remaining high in the east and south. However, the mountainous regions will continue to experience afternoon thunderstorms, albeit less severe than those seen earlier in the week.

As the week draws to a close, the weather will gradually stabilise, with sunshine prevailing across most of the country.

While isolated showers and thunderstorms may still occur in the mountains, the lowlands and southern regions will enjoy dry and sunny conditions. Temperatures will remain high, ranging from 26C to 34C, ensuring that the heatwave continues for those in the east and south.

READ NEXT: How to stay cool in Austria as the heatwave hits

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Austria set for late summer heatwave with temperatures to rise above 30C

As summer draws to a close, there’s no sign of cooler weather on the horizon. The forecast for the weekend and beyond predicts temperatures well above 30C, with plenty of sunshine, especially in eastern Austria, which is expected to be a hotspot.

In recent days, much of the country has experienced a brief respite from the heat. For example, from Vorarlberg to the Waldviertel, maximum temperatures on Monday hovered around 20C. Even in the east and south, where temperatures exceeded 30C in some areas, it was still cooler than the previous weekend.

However, the coming days will see high pressure building from the Mediterranean across the Alps to the Baltic Sea, bringing the heat back across Austria. Temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 30C in all states, with sunny weather prevailing.

READ ALSO: Six places near Vienna to escape the heat

Wednesday will begin with fog and low clouds drifting from Bavaria and the Czech Republic in some areas. Later in the day, spring clouds may appear, and isolated showers and thunderstorms could develop in the mountains.

Despite this, most of the country will remain dry. With light to moderate winds from the east to south, which may be brisk in the Danube region, daytime temperatures in Burgenland will range from 25C to 33C. At higher altitudes, such as on the main ridge of the Tyrolean Alps, temperatures could reach up to 19C.

Thursday is expected to be very hot, with most of the day remaining sunny. Morning temperatures of 15C to 20C will rise to 25C to 34C by the afternoon, mainly affecting the eastern regions.

READ ALSO: Five Austrian destinations you can reach by train to escape the heat

However, cumulus clouds may form in some areas during the afternoon, leading to a few localised showers and thunderstorms, particularly in Salzburg, East Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the Lower Austrian Alpine foothills. Squalls could accompany some of this precipitation, though winds will be generally light.

Friday will bring more hot and sunny weather, with temperatures again reaching highs of 25C to 34C degrees. Clouds may develop in the afternoon and evening, particularly in the west, potentially bringing thunderstorms.

Saturday will see high temperatures and rain in Austria (screenshot: GeoSphere Austria)

The intense heat will persist on Saturday, with temperatures ranging from 26C to 35C. Sunshine will dominate across Austria, though afternoon showers and thunderstorms are possible in the Rätikon and Zillertal Alps regions, accompanied by light to moderate winds from the northeast to southeast.

Sunday, the beginning of September and the meteorological autumn, will be another hot day. Temperatures are expected to reach around 35C in the east and 27C to 33C in most parts of Austria. Sunshine will again be prevalent, though there will also be some high, translucent clouds. Spring clouds, showers, and thunderstorms may return from Vorarlberg to western Upper Styria.

It remains uncertain how long this heatwave will last. The east of Austria will likely remain hot at the start of next week, coinciding with the beginning of the school year, while cooler air could reach western Austria early in the week.

The current temperatures are approaching Austria’s September records, with the highest being 36.0 degrees recorded in Pottschach, Lower Austria, on 1st September 2015, according to the GeoSphere Austria climate portal.

READ NEXT: How Austria plans to protect the public during heatwaves this summer

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