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WEATHER

‘Siberian cold’: Austria’s icy spell to continue with double-digit minus temperatures this weekend

Austria was in the grip of a period of sub-zero weather on Friday with the big chill forecast to continue over the weekend. Thermometers could dip well below minus 20C.

'Siberian cold': Austria's icy spell to continue with double-digit minus temperatures this weekend
People walk in front of the snow-covered memorial of Empress Maria Theresa. Photo: ALEX HALADA / AFP

Austria has been hit by icy cold temperatures for much of the week.

Temperatures on Friday morning dipped to -22C in Dobersberg, a low lying town near the German border in the north east. 

The mercury was expected to rise slightly throughout the day to a cool -16C tonight.

The icy temperatures in the low-lying provinces of Bergenland, Carinthia and Styria felt much colder than the thermometer readings due to gusting winds of up to 40km/h.

Dobersberg’s low was expected to be matched on Friday night in St Jakob in Defereggen which stands at 1,400m altitude in mountainous East Tyrol near the Italian border.

On Saturday night, the temperature could plummet to -24C.

The cold temperatures are thanks to a blanket of cold air lying over central and eastern Europe, the result of a high pressure area centred on Norway. 

Vienna remained at a relatively balmy -10C on Friday morning despite being less than two hours from frigid Dobersberg.

Reports from the ground record real temperatures closer to minus six.

The record books have still to be challenged. The longest run of consecutive days below freezing in Vienna was 48, which took place in the winter of 1890/91.

In more recent times, the longest run was 14 days in January 2012.

The same year Tannheim in Tyrol, which lies at just over a thousand metres, hit  -28.9C.

 

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WEATHER

Up to 36C: Austria braces for first heatwave of year before violent storms

Temperatures have already surpassed 30C in Austria, and the peak of heatwave is expected on Friday, with storms over the weekend.

Up to 36C: Austria braces for first heatwave of year before violent storms

Austria was sizzling on Thursday as the year’s first heatwave hit, with temperatures soaring to 30C and beyond. This early onset of extreme heat had experts concerned about the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves due to climate change.

Clemens Bauer of Geosphere Austria said that the initial heatwave would be particularly challenging for the body, which struggles to cope with the sudden and drastic rise in temperature. This was a clear illustration of the toll that climate change is taking on our health, he said.

However, subsequent heatwaves are less severe as the body gradually adjusts.

The first 30-degree day in Vienna this year arrived on Tuesday, earlier than the historical average, a trend that was also observed in Bruck an der Mur in Styria. 

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

The duration of heatwaves has also increased over time. Vienna’s average number of hot days has risen from ten during the years 1961-1990 to 27 on average during the years 2010-2018. The peak of the current heatwave is forecast to hit on Friday, with temperatures predicted to reach 36C.

The lack of nighttime cooling poses an additional challenge, hindering the body’s recovery from heat stress. Vienna may experience its first tropical night of the year on Thursday, with overnight temperatures above 20C in the city centre.

Storms ahead

The severe weather centre is warning of severe thunderstorms on Friday and in the night to Saturday. While the heat will peak in the east of Austria on Friday at up to 36C, thunderstorms are expected to start in the west and then spread eastwards, meteorologists report.

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

There is a risk of severe weather in the east, especially on Friday afternoon and Saturday night, with heavy rain, large hail and severe storms. The potential for severe weather will decrease again on Saturday.

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