Hot wave rolls up: up to 31 degrees on the first heat weekend!

Hot wave rolls up: up to 31 degrees on the first heat weekend!

Österreich - On May 27, 2025, Austria is facing a hot weekend. According to 5min , meteorologists expect temperatures of up to 31 degrees this weekend, which makes the first real heat weekend of the year. While the week before was crossed with changeable and fresh weather, the predictions for the weekend show a striking change in the weather.

At the beginning of the week, the maximum values ​​between 19 and 25 degrees were recorded. Tuesday and Wednesday bring dense clouds and isolated rain showers, especially along the Alpine north side, while thunderstorms are possible in the south. Thursday announces inconsistent weather, with rain primarily in the northern regions of the Alps, followed by a temperature rise on Friday, when more sunshine is expected.

heat waves and their consequences

The problem of heat waves is reminiscent of the seasonal fluctuations in mortality, which according to Ages More deaths in the winter months in comparison to summer. Statistical data in recent decades show this trend and show that heat waves often lead to an increase in mortality, especially among older people. The abrasion often correlates with waves of heat days and influenza epidemics.

A heat mortality monitoring that was developed in cooperation with the Technical University of Graz informs health service providers about the increased need for care in hot times. The data is based on daily air temperature measurements of 181 measuring stations in Austria.

climate change and the future

A general warning trend means that the number of hot days in Austria has increased considerably in recent decades. According to climate change adjustment , the number of days has increased with temperatures of 30 degrees and more by two to triple. What used to be a record is the average these days. Forecasts show that without global climate protection measures, heat days up to 2100 could be doubled or tripled.

The effects of climate change are particularly noticeable in the southeast of Austria, since the increase in tropical nights and longer heat waves can be observed most clearly there. Development is even more pronounced in urban areas such as Vienna, since the city had an average of 9.6 heat days a year between 1961 and 1990, while 15.2 hot days were already registered a year from 1981 to 2010. This throws a shadow on the health and social challenges associated with increasing temperatures.

The coming weekend will not only be a industrial in the anticipation for summer, but also a memory of the serious challenges that climate change brings.