Storm depression over Austria: With heavy rain and wind into autumn!

Storm depression over Austria: With heavy rain and wind into autumn!

A strong storm is currently causing a massive change in the weather in Austria. Gone are the mild autumn days, replaced by rain and stormy winds. Meteorologists from Geosphere Austria warn of significant weather conditions that will arrive from Thursday. The western and northern regions of Austria are particularly affected, while the east is spared from the storms for the time being.

On Monday, October 19th, the weather was still friendly with temperatures between 8 and 19 degrees Celsius and occasional sunshine. But the forecasts indicate that after one last mild day the weather situation will change significantly. While the foehn in the mountains ensures friendlier weather on Tuesday, the situation becomes increasingly cloudy on Wednesday, accompanied by gray skies and the first drops of rain in the west and north. By Thursday, temperatures will drop to 12 to 15 degrees Celsius and the storm is already on its way.

Expected weather extremes

With the arrival of the cold front, an abrupt fluctuation in temperatures is expected. The low pressure area that is developing over northern Italy is bringing cold and moist air masses to Austria, which could lead to massive rainfall. At higher altitudes, snowfall is even expected, which could endanger both traffic and the power supply. Meteorologist Christian Csekits describes the situation as “very critical” and warns of possible floods and mudslides.

From Thursday to Sunday, between 100 and 200 millimeters of rain could fall in many regions, and in particularly affected areas it could even be more than 200 millimeters. These extreme amounts of rain could cause smaller rivers and streams to overflow their banks and cause numerous disruptions to road and rail traffic. In addition, new snow amounts of up to 150 centimeters are to be expected in the mountains, which could result in wintry conditions in the high mountains.

Climate change and its consequences

These extreme weather events are part of a larger problem that is increasingly affecting Austrian society. The upcoming climate report, which will be published in June 2025, will detail the effects of climate change on Austria. According to previous studies, the average temperature in Austria has increased by around 3.1 degrees Celsius since 1900, which has led to extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rain becoming more common.

The risks from climate change affect all areas of life and can particularly severely affect vulnerable groups such as older people and low-income households. Despite a decline in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, rapid action is necessary to meet the EU's 2030 climate targets. A continuous increase in weather conditions and an increasing number of climate-related challenges are expected in the coming weeks.

Comprehensive and consistent climate protection is not only sensible, but also necessary. Measures to reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to changing climatic conditions can sustainably improve the quality of life in Austria and strengthen resilience to future challenges.

In view of these developments, it remains to be seen how strongly the announced extreme weather events will affect the country in the next few days. The challenges are great, but timely action could mitigate many of their negative impacts.

For further details on the current weather forecasts and long-term climatic changes in Austria, see 5min.at, Kleine Newspaper and BMLUK.