Prolonged heatwaves and drought on one hand, and devastating heavy rainfall events on the other. 2024 once again makes the consequences of progressive warming and the increase in extreme weather events strikingly visible in Austria. Particularly severe was Storm Low "Anett" in mid-September, which caused substantial rainfall and devastating flooding with six fatalities in Austria. From 12 to 16 September, central Europe saw more rainfall than ever recorded since measurements began. The precipitation led to regionally extreme flood discharges that statistically occur only once every 1,000 years (e.g. on the Wienfluss). 

All of Lower Austria was declared a disaster zone, thousands of people had to be evacuated from the affected areas and suffered severe damage, including the destruction of their homes. The need to be as well prepared as possible for such events in future is growing in parallel with the increasing intensity and frequency of these extreme weather events. With the Austrian Climate Status Report 2024, we therefore focus on established practices, new research findings, strategies and recommendations aimed at minimising damage caused by increasing weather extremes. These insights are crucial for developing effective measures and supporting decision-makers in building more resilient communities over the long term.

Read it in the Climate Status Report 2024!

The climate review has also been prepared for all nine federal provinces:

Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna

You can find the climate status reports and climate reviews from recent years here!

The annually published Austrian Climate Status Report is produced on behalf of the Climate and Energy Fund and all nine federal provinces by the Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA) in collaboration with GeoSphere Austria (GSA) and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), and with the involvement of numerous other research institutions.