2023 is likely to land among the warmest years in Austria since measurements began

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Geosphere Austria’s latest interim assessment on Wednesday shows that this year will likely end up among the warmest years in Austria’s measurement history.

He said this year’s September already stood out due to above-average temperatures. “If October, November, and December run similarly to the average of the last ten years, 2023 will be one of the three warmest years in Austria’s 256-year measurement history,” said climatologist Alexander Orlik.

The warmest years since measurements began: where does 2023 land?
“If autumn and the beginning of winter are cooler than in recent years, 2023 will still be in the fourth to sixth place range,” Orlik continued. In this context, Orlik emphasized the importance of global warming and climate crises. Thus, he said, 2023 confirms the trend towards an increasingly warmer climate. “Among the 25 warmest years in Austria’s 256-year measurement history, almost all are years of the recent past,” Orlik said.

September has also already set records, he said. Here, Orlik referred to temperature highs in alpine terrain, among other things. “Last weekend, it was warmer on many mountains in Austria than ever before in a September since measurements began,” he reported.

New records
Among the examples cited were the readings at Salzburg’s Sonnblick Observatory at 3,109 metres above sea level on Saturday. Thus, he said, there were 13.0 degrees there that day. “The previous September record was 12.4 degrees in 1997. Measurements have been taken at Sonnblick since 1886,” it was reported. At Brenner, at 1,412 metres above sea level, where statistics go back to 1948, 27.5 degrees were measured on Sunday. The previous September record was 26.6 degrees in 2006, according to Geosphere. “Due to the partly midsummer temperatures since the beginning of the month and the above-average warm next few days according to the current forecast trend, September 2023 could become one of the two warmest September months in measurement history,” Orlik said.

On Wednesday, a cold front will move from west to east across Austria, ending the hot summer weather of the last few days with rain showers and thunderstorms. However, it will be sunny again towards the weekend, with maximum temperatures between 21 and 28 degrees above average.