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Verkhoyansk in Siberia is considered one of the coldest settlements in the world. In June it was over 38 degrees Celsius. Warming in the Arctic Circle is progressing much faster than in the rest of the world, warned renowned climate researcher Helga Kromp-Kolb, who arrived in Linz from the Greens at the invitation of the Provincial Councilor for Climate Protection Stefan Kaineder.
And this has direct consequences, even in Upper Austria. Due to the increasing warming of the north, the so-called jet currents (strong winds) in the upper layers of the atmosphere, which drive the main climatic conditions, lose energy because they obtain their strength from the temperature difference between the north pole and the equator. . And this temperature difference becomes smaller.
The result: Weather conditions can linger in a region for weeks or then reappear with brief interruptions, says Kromp-Kolb. “Winter brought no snow at the lower elevations, in March and April there was practically no rainfall in Upper Austria,” Kaineder said. A phase of prolonged rains only started in May.
“The rain was positive for agriculture and the summer did not bring pronounced heat waves,” says Alexander Ohms of the Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics. Many people would have found this summer too wet and too cool. “However, it was more than one degree above the long-term average and ranked 14th in our 254-year measurement history.” It’s one of those summers “like the ones we had 30 years ago.” However, the number of hot days above 30 degrees shows climate change. This year there were 14 hot days in Linz, compared to 26 days the previous year very hot. But if you compare the period from the 1960s to 1990s, the difference is clear: at that time there were only five days on average in Linz with more than 30 degrees.
An increase in temperatures of more than two degrees since the 1970s “is a clear red flag,” Kromp-Kolb said. Because the warmer the air, the more water vapor it contains. “That means heavier rainfall and therefore more flood damage. But our sewage systems were planned for completely different dimensions, ”said the climate researcher.
The blockage caused by the corona virus had significantly improved air quality, for example in Linz, but could not save the climate. Because the lockdown only slowed warming by 0.01 degrees, the expert said. However, to protect the climate, a permanent reduction in greenhouse gases is necessary. Calculated for the entire year, the blockade resulted in a CO2 reduction of around seven percent due to lower traffic volume.
The Corona period sparked a rethinking in many people, and politics should now do that too, he said. Financial aid should now be used “in such a way that we can achieve climate change.”
Regarding the plans for the extension of the ski area in Vorder and Hinterstoder, which will be expanded by about 45 million euros at an altitude of less than 1,100 meters, Kromp-Kolb said: “The area is indeed a hole of snow. But the snow hole is always growing more of a rain hole. ” Kaineder added that the state has a stake in the mountain railways and therefore “hopes that we will see if it is worth it.”
