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WEATHER

Austria heading into a rainy and cooler weekend after heatwave peak

After the heatwave reached its peak on Thursday with temperatures of up to 37C, the hot weather will subside (but not by much) as Austria gets showers and thunderstorms.

Published: 18 August 2022 15:29 CEST
Austria heading into a rainy and cooler weekend after heatwave peak
Workers clear dead fish from the Zicksee lake in St. Andrae am Zicksee in Burgenland, Austria as people lie in the shadow. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP)

Austria is experiencing one of the hottest summers in history and the effects of the hot and dry days can be seen all over the country.

From dried-out lakes to forest fires, the pictures showcasing the extreme weather’s impact are strong. The current heatwave, with temperatures above 30C every day since Saturday, August 13th, is set to peak this Thursday..

READ ALSO: IN PICTURES: How drought and extreme heat are affecting Austria

Still, it seems there will be some relief as the Austrian meteorologic agency ZAMG forecasts rainfall for the coming days in the country.

It starts on Thursday, with rain and thunderstorms forecast for western Austria, though temperatures are still high and the east, including Vienna, is less likely to see rain today.

From Friday, though, rain and thunderstorms are expected for the entire country, with extreme weather for strong winds and storms. Early temperatures will stay between 14C and 24C, but maximum temperatures in the west, where it should rain all day long, will often be around 20C.

READ ALSO: Wild weather in Austria: How to protect yourself during summer storms

In the east though, the sunniest locations could see the mercury rise to 35C.

On Saturday, early temperatures will be between 13C to 21C while daily maximum temperatures stay between 20C to 28C, with the east of Austria again seeing less rain and higher temperatures.

On Sunday, central regions of the country are likely to experience some rainfall, but by the afternoon most clouds will clear and showers will subside. Early morning temperatures will be between 11C and 20C, but will rise to between 22C to 28C later on in the day.

The weather will generally be sunny and dry next week, ZAMG reports. Daily maximum temperatures will be between 23C to 28C, according to the weather institute.

READ ALSO: How to avoid getting heat exhaustion in Austria’s scorching weather

What’s the weather going to be like in Vienna?

Friday will still be sunny and hot in Vienna, though the probability of showers and storms will increase near the evening hours. Daily maximum temperatures are around 33C.

Saturday morning is forecast to be rainy, but the skies will clear slightly during the day. Maximum temperatures will be around 26C.

On Sunday, some clouds still be present, which could lead to light rain, ZAMG says. Maximum daytime temperatures continue at 26C.

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CLIMATE CRISIS

Climate activists to stop Vienna traffic every morning for weeks

Austria's capital Vienna will see "at least" three weeks of climate protests by the environmental protest group Last Generation. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 2 May 2023 11:53 CEST
Climate activists to stop Vienna traffic every morning for weeks

Last Generation activists plan to disrupt early morning traffic at critical points in Vienna, starting on Tuesday, for at least three weeks in their third wave of action. The group has announced that this will be their most significant action to date.

Typically, the blockades involve protesters sticking themselves to roads in order to create disruption to traffic. The core group has approximately 200 people who have undergone relevant training in how to attach themselves to the road.

However, on Tuesday morning, the protest was contained to a march around the Ringstrasse in the first district of Vienna, with activists walking accompanied by police. They carried signs with messages such as “100km/h is enough,” “no new drilling,” and “Parents for the future.”

On a Twitter post showing the action in the Viennese streets, the group wrote: “We have no choice: the government is putting our public safety at risk. Spain and regions worldwide are drying up. Food prices will go up. A social collapse will be the result. And the simplest immediate measures have still not been implemented.”

Last Generation has been blocking early morning traffic in Austrian cities for months to draw attention to the climate crisis’s consequences and urge government officials to take action. The group is calling for a ban on new oil and gas drilling and a 100 km/h speed limit on highways, among other demands.

READ ALSO: Is Austria doing enough to protect children from the climate crisis?

They plan “at least” three weeks of protest in the Austrian capital this time, but the exact time (though marches and blockades usually happen in the early morning) and location are kept secret to avoid previous mobilisation by the police, according to the group.

Who are the climate protesters?

Last Generation is a climate activist group that sees itself as the last generation with the opportunity to prevent severe consequences of climate change.

They refer to themselves as a “nonviolent resistance movement” and often employ roadblocks that involve members glueing themselves to roads in order to disrupt traffic, a tactic referred to as a “sticky wave” or “Klebe-Welle” – they are known in Austria as the “klimakleber”.

READ MORE: Who are the climate protesters disrupting traffic in Vienna – and why?

Their blockades in January led to 52 arrests and over 200 police reports as traffic was disrupted in city centres. Similar protests have occurred in other cities, such as Linz, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck, and Graz, since the beginning of the year.

The group made headlines in November when they threw black liquid on a Klimt painting at the Leopold Museum in Vienna.

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