A sweltering 34 degrees

Heat warning! Summer is far from over

It's been hot over the past few days and it's going to stay hot. Temperatures of up to 34 degrees are here to stay (symbolic image).

(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

Hardly a cloud can be seen over Austria at the moment. The sweltering heat has been causing tropical nights for days. If you don't want to say goodbye to summer, you can still look forward to the next few days: autumn is still a long way off! 

From west to east - the maximum temperatures are above the 30 degree mark across the country. Up to 31 degrees are measured in Vorarlberg, even 34 in the federal capital. According to Geosphere Austria, isolated showers or thunderstorms are possible on Friday, at least in the mountains, but elsewhere it will remain sunny and above all hot.

Summer temperatures remain constant
The high-pressure weather with plenty of sunshine and high temperatures will continue on Saturday, meaning that many Austrians will be able to cool off on the lakes or in the outdoor pool. However, individual thunderstorms cannot be ruled out in the west. Temperatures will be almost exactly the same as the day before.

How to protect yourself from the heat:

Not only children, senior citizens and pregnant women should consider the following:

• Wear light, breathable clothing and a hat
• Avoid exertion such as sport etc.
• Eat light meals
• Cool your forearms and neck with water, for example
• Drink enough (2-3 liters a day for adults)

September 1st will also be almost a repeat of the previous day: the day will start off sunny and dry, with the possibility of isolated showers or thunderstorms in the west from the second half of the day. Temperatures will remain the same - 34 degrees is possible.

Start of September remains hot
The start of the week will not bring any change - the hot climate will continue. But with the stifling heat, the likelihood of thunderstorms also increases: In the west, the cumulus clouds will become more and more powerful from midday and rain showers and thunderstorms can be expected until the evening, especially in Tyrol, Vorarlberg, East Tyrol and Salzburg, as well as in large parts of Upper and Lower Austria and western Styria. It will remain sunny and dry in the far east and south. Temperatures will remain more or less the same.

On Tuesday, there could even be an increase on the previous temperatures: 35 degrees are expected! Local rain showers are again possible in the west in the afternoon.

Hottest summer in recorded history
Residents in Upper Austria are also struggling with the drought in the country. In Linz and Freistadt, the summer was the warmest in recorded history. However, the absolute highest temperature of the year was measured in the south of the country, in Weyer: On June 29, the thermometer there showed 35.6 degrees. Together with Linz, Weyer leads the way in terms of daily maximums in Upper Austria (up to and including August 28) with 29 days over 30 degrees each.

Records were also set across Austria for the number of tropical nights. There were already 44 in Vienna's city center and, according to meteorologist Nikolas Zimmermann, more are on the way in the coming days. According to Zimmermann, the summer of 2024 is also likely to be the warmest in recorded history, just ahead of the summers of 2003 and 2019.