Climate Review Lower Austria 2024

With a mean temperature of 11.1 °C (deviation +3.2 °C), 2024 was by far the warmest year in Lower Austria's meteorological record, surpassing the previously warmest year, 2023, by 0.5 °C. Starting with the winter of 2023/2024, Lower Austria experienced three record-warm seasons in a row, and autumn also ranked among the top 10. Following the extremely mild period from early February to mid-April and the resulting advanced plant development, a cold air intrusion in the second half of April caused significant damage to fruit and wine growing. The eastern half of the province in particular suffered from summer heat with up to 57 hot days and prolonged dry spells, occasionally interrupted by heavy rainfall. A Mediterranean low-pressure system brought enormous amounts of rainfall in September, causing catastrophic flooding, particularly in the west and south of the province…