Original scientific paper
THE VARIABILITY OF HEAT WAVES AND DRY SPELLS IN THE FLAT AND MONTAINOUS REGIONS OF AUSTRIA
Ingeborg Auer
; Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Vienna
Eva Korus
; Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Vienna
Abstract
Abstract. Based on quality checked time series of daily maximum temperature and 24h precipitation sums, heat waves at 12 stations up to an elevation of 800m and dry spells at 30 stations up to 3000m in Austria over the past 50 years were calculated and analysed. The analysis of the frequencies of heat waves and dry spells showed very differentiated results, because local environmental effects can partly compensate the given dependence on elevation. Since the 1950ies the number of hot days has increased. The largest increase (~25 days) occurred in regions of lower elevation, but an increase of 1 to 2 days can also be observed at elevations of about 700m above sea level. The variability of the number of dry spells is dependant on the location, on the duration of the period and on the season. Only the
autumn season can be seen as consistent for the whole country concerning the decreases in the frequency of occurrence of dry spells lasting almost 10 to 30 days. As a result, the well known “Altweibersommer” is not to happen with the same reliability nowadays than in former times.
Keywords
Austria; Heat Waves; Hot Days; Drought; Dry Periods; Dry Spells
Hrčak ID:
64796
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2005.
Visits: 898 *