This week, the European Union’s climate change service announced that 2023 is expected to be the hottest year on record. October 2023 was by far the hottest October worldwide since 1940. And in Lower Austria, October also reached the highest measured values since the end of the 19th century in some regions.
High temperatures in autumn will also have an impact on the 2023 annual balance for Lower Austria, says Alexander Orlik, climatologist at Geosphere Austria. “It is very likely that 2023 will reach first, second or third place in Lower Austria in the ranking of the hottest years this year,” says Orlik. If, as predicted, November is quite warm and temperatures in December drop significantly, unsurprisingly, first place will definitely be within our reach. According to Orlik, it is very likely that temperatures in December will be similar to the average of the last 20 years. He is therefore hoping for a place in the top three. A placement outside the top five is “nearly impossible” for Orlik due to the above-average temperatures in September and October.
If you compare the average temperature in St. Pölten from the beginning of January to the end of October between the years 1894 and 2023, this year is clearly in first place. “The temperature distribution is relatively homogeneous in Lower Austria. Even if, for example, October was not the warmest October in all regions, it can be assumed that between January and October 2023 it was still the warmest on average in Lower Austria compared to previous years”, he explains. Orlik.
Across Austria, 2023 is definitely one of the ten hottest years
When it comes to the national average, Orlik is certain that 2023 will be among the ten hottest years since records began. A spot in the top six is very likely. “December 2010 was around three degrees below the long-term average across Austria, and in Lower Austria it was even four degrees”, says the climatologist and adds: “Even if it is so cold in December this year, 2023 will be between ten degrees across Austria, the hottest years since the beginning of the history of measurements.