Alps Experience Hottest Temperatures on Record in 2024

Alps Experience Hottest Temperatures on Record in 2024

Image: APA/THEMENBILD/EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

 

The period between May and October 2024 saw record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather in the Alps, with some regions experiencing the warmest months on record, according to a new climate report published this week.

Temperatures in May, June and September were average, but July, August and October were significantly warmer, according to the findings of the joint Alpine Climate Report from weather services in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

In Switzerland, stations at Jungfraujoch, Weissfluhjoch, Säntis, Lugano and Piotta recorded their warmest Augusts in history. Austria also saw new August records, with locations like Graz, Klagenfurt and Sonnblick setting new highs. In Germany, Zugspitze recorded its hottest August on record.

Unusually High Number of Summer Days in the Alps

August 2024 also brought an unusually high number of days with temperatures over 25°C to alpine regions, particularly at elevations between 500 and 1,000 metres. These areas experienced 10 to 15 summer days, an increase of 50 to 80% compared to the average August from 1991 to 2020.

The summer of 2024 also saw fewer frost days (below zero), particularly in June, July and August. From 5 July to 8 September, the Zugspitze and Sonnblick weather stations recorded their longest frost-free period in history, lasting 66 consecutive days. This surpassed previous records of 31 days at Sonnblick in 1994 and 2019, and 41 days at Zugspitze in 2022.

Heavy Rainfall and Flooding

While July and August were relatively dry in both the Northern and Southern Alps, there was significantly higher rainfall in May, June, September and October. The heaviest rain fell in parts of Switzerland, Vorarlberg and Allgäu, particularly in May and June, causing flooding and landslides.

In the Allgäu, rainfall between 31 May and 1 June reached between 100 and 140 millimetres in many areas, a rare event that occurs once every 50 to 100 years in the northern part of the region. Combined with snowmelt, this led to an 80-centimetre rise in Lake Constance’s water levels in just four days.

In late June, extreme rainfall was recorded in the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Valais. On 29 June, the town of Binn saw 159 millimetres of rain in one day, while Simplon-Dorf recorded 101 millimetres. These rainfall totals are considered rare, with Binn experiencing such an event only once every 10 to 20 years.

In mid-September, a Mediterranean low-pressure system brought heavy rain and flooding to eastern Austria, with rainfall amounts that statistically occur less than once every 100 years.

Snow Records Set in the Alps

The summer of 2024 also saw above-average snowfall in the Alps, especially in May, June, July and September. Some stations set new records for snow depth in September. For example, on 15 September, Ramsau am Dachstein recorded 19 centimetres of snow, and Ruhpolding-Seehaus in Bavaria recorded 8 centimetres. However, the Alps saw less snow than usual in August and October.

The German Weather Service, MeteoSchweiz, and Geosphere Austria conduct joint evaluations of the alpine climate twice a year. For this report, data was compared with the climate period from 1991 to 2020, offering insight into long-term climate trends in the region.

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