The year 2019 ranks as the third warmest year in recorded history. Following the previously warmest year 2018 and the second warmest year 2014, 2019 was the third warmest year across Austria since the start of meteorological records — which in Austria go back an impressive 252 years.
Alongside above-average temperatures, 2019 in Austria was characterised above all by several prolonged, persistent weather patterns that led to extreme weather situations. The snow-rich January brought damage running into the millions early in the year, caused by increased avalanche activity and road closures. The unusually wet May, marked by cold snaps, stood in stark contrast to the hottest and driest June since records began. In hindsight, however, May proved to be a positive event for agriculture and forestry in terms of the drought and heat that followed. Particularly severe were the consequences of the heavy precipitation events in November, which were associated with devastating natural disasters such as flooding, mudflows and landslides, as well as avalanches.
How these weather phenomena are connected to climate change and what consequences they brought about in Austria can be read in the Climate Status Report Austria 2019.
For 2019, the climate review was compiled for all nine federal states for the first time:
Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Vienna
"In the Climate Status Reports [and climate reviews] for 2019 and 2020, the climate index for cooling degree days was originally calculated using an incorrect definition, which led to a systematic underestimation of index values compared to commonly used definitions. The climate index was therefore redefined in February 2022, and the reports were updated with the new index values."
