Prolonged heatwaves and drought on one side, and devastating heavy rainfall events on the other. The year 2024 once again starkly highlights the consequences of ongoing warming and the increase in extreme weather events in Austria. Particularly severe was Storm Low "Anett" in mid-September, which brought substantial rainfall and devastating floods, claiming six lives in Austria. From 12 to 16 September, central Europe experienced more rainfall than at any point since records began. The precipitation led to regionally extreme flood discharges that are statistically expected to occur only once every 1,000 years (e.g. on the Wienfluss).
The whole of Lower Austria was declared a disaster zone, thousands of people had to be evacuated from the affected areas, and many suffered severe damage to or outright destruction of their homes. The need to be as well-prepared as possible for such events in the future is growing in line with the increasing intensity and frequency of these extreme weather events. With the Climate Status Report Austria 2024, we therefore focus on established best 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.
The climate review has also been prepared for all nine federal states:
Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna
The annually published Climate Status Report Austria is produced on behalf of the Climate and Energy Fund and all nine federal states by the Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA) in collaboration with GeoSphere Austria (GSA) and BOKU University, with the participation of numerous additional research institutions.
