Cooler May 2025: Natural development remains behind schedule

Cooler May 2025: Natural development remains behind schedule

In May 2025, Austria experienced a comparatively cool month. According to the Kleine Zeitung in the lowlands was 0.9 degrees Celsius cooler and on the mountains by 0.8 degrees than in average The climatea paper from 1991 to 2020. However, May was 0.5 degrees in lowland compared to the previous climate paper from 1961 to 1990 and was warmer by 0.7 degrees on the mountains. This temperature development is part of a larger pattern that reflects the current climate change.

The number of summer days at which the temperatures reached at least 25 degrees Celsius also fell to a record low. There were only four summer days in the lowlands, which corresponds to a minus of 35 percent compared to the many years of average. At high altitudes between 500 and 1,000 meters, only three summer days were registered, also 25 percent less than on average. The lowest temperature was recorded on May 10 at -7.3 degrees in Liebenau, while on May 31 in Innsbruck the highest temperature was measured.

precipitation pattern and effects

In May 2025, the amount of precipitation was average throughout Austria, but there were considerable regional differences. While parts of Vorarlberg, North Tyrol, East Tyrol, Upper Carinthia, Pinzgau, Pongau and Lungau recorded 15 to 50 percent more precipitation, the country's eastern half suffered from drought, with deviations from 15 to 65 percent less precipitation in areas such as Flachgau and Mühlviertel. The cool May dampened the natural development, but the lead was already clearly pronounced due to the mild previous months.

A look at the preliminary climate balance for the spring 2025 of Geosphere Austria shows that spring in the lowlands of Austria took the 12th place of the warmest spring in 259 years of measuring history. The temperatures in the lowlands were 0.9 degrees and in the mountains by 1.1 degrees above the means of the climate paper from 1991 to 2020. The months of March and April in particular were extremely mild, while May was cooler again.

early bloomers and vegetation development

The flowering times of many plants were able to develop earlier due to the milder previous months. The Robinia bloomed on May 1, 2025, eleven days earlier than on average between 1991 and 2020 and even 23 days earlier than in the period 1961 to 1990.

The current climatic changes not only have regional effects on vegetation, but are part of a global phenomenon that is also reflected in Austria. According to Austria.gv.at will continue to rise in the coming decades. The release of greenhouse gases since industrialization has sustainable effects on the global climate system.

The changing temperatures and precipitation patterns will not only affect agriculture and forestry, but also change the living conditions of animals and humans. Harvest failures, floods and other natural disasters could increase, which will tighten the challenges in the fight against climate change. It is therefore crucial to observe the developments closely and take measures to determine the effects.