High particulate matter levels

Inversion weather: the air is stagnant in the Graz basin

The air in the provincial capital is thick under the "fog soup".

(Bild: KRONEN ZEITUNG)

The current weather conditions are causing pollutant levels in Graz to skyrocket. Is the particulate matter pollution a health hazard? And when will things improve?

While Upper Styria enjoyed its first snowfall on Wednesday, the air in Graz is thick these days. The notorious basin is once again at the forefront of Austria when it comes to pollution.

"The classic inversion weather situation brings a lot of high fog in the fall. It is then cloudy in the lowlands and sunny in the mountains. At the same time, there is little wind and the fog becomes a kind of barrier," explains meteorologist Konstantin Brandes from Ubimet. This means that hardly any air exchange is possible - and the values skyrocket.

How long the weather situation lasts is crucial. The air is becoming increasingly enriched with particulate matter these days.

Werner Prutsch, Leiter des Grazer Umweltamts

Bild: Christian Jauschowetz

The health-critical limit value of 50 micrograms per cubic meter was last clearly exceeded in Graz last Saturday - "that also causes the weather apps to sound the alarm", says Brandes. The values are also currently high in Kapfenberg and Mürzzuschlag.

No reason to panic
However, this is not necessarily unusual at this time of year, reassures Werner Prutsch, Head of the Graz Environmental Agency. On the contrary: "20 years ago, the days when values were exceeded were more frequent and more intense." Emission-reducing measures are having an effect - but construction sites continue to cause local peak values.

The decisive factor is how long the weather situation lasts, which is why the measurements over the next few days need to be monitored closely. Brandes knows that the fog is likely to persist until Sunday. While the first flakes have already fallen from the Dachstein to Mariazell, the onset of winter could reach the whole of Styria next week. If you want to protect yourself from the fine dust until then, you can wear a mask or stay indoors.