Rising temperatures and extreme weather events such as drought periods are taking their toll on people and nature — and are having consequences for the soil, among other things. A whole range of causes lie behind this. What they have in common is that they're all being driven by climate change.

After an exceptionally cool spring, June brought with it a large number of hot days. In some regions of Austria, this year's heatwaves were the longest ever recorded in June, according to the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG).

Prolonged heatwaves put a strain not only on people, but also on nature. Because summers are not only getting hotter, but also drier. This is having an impact on agriculture, forests and ecosystems, Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) explained to ORF.at.

Drought periods as a long-term trend?

The effects of drought periods are visible, for example, in Burgenland. Lake Neusiedl is fed 80 per cent by rainwater, which makes it vulnerable to fluctuations in precipitation levels. According to data from the Hydrographic Service of Burgenland, this year's water level of the lake is significantly below the long-term average from 1965 to 2020. The last time Lake Neusiedl completely dried up was, incidentally, 150 years ago.

Read the full article at: orf.at