VIENNA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- This year is on course to become one of the warmest on record in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, according to a joint study by the meteorological agencies of the three countries.
In Austria, the average temperature from January to October was 4.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (1881-1910), making 2024 likely to become the warmest year on record, according to the study by GeoSphere Austria, the German Weather Service (DWD), and MeteoSwiss, published on Friday.
Germany and Switzerland showed similar trends, with average temperatures from January to October rising 3.3 and 3.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages, respectively.
GeoSphere Austria highlighted significant climate change impacts across the three countries, including more frequent heavy rainfall, higher drought risks, and reduced snowfall in lower-altitude areas. The agency called for consistent global climate action to mitigate these adverse effects. ■