News

Experiencing a heat record: summer 2024 at the University of Graz

A look back at the average temperatures of this year's meteorological summer (1 June to 31 August) on campus makes you listen up: New record values for the months of July and August, the average temperature for the summer was only just surpassed by the "summer of the century" in 2003.

Hunga eruption changes the atmosphere: researchers show effects

Less than a week ago, lava began to bubble up from the earth again in Iceland. In Sicily, Mount Etna does not come to rest. The eruption of a volcano can have massive consequences for a region. But its breath can also reach far beyond. During the eruption of Hunga in January 2022, the largest volcanic event of the 21st century to date, an unprecedented amount of water vapour was released into the upper atmosphere. Researchers from the Wegener Center at the University of Graz, in collaboration with colleagues from the USA, have investigated the changes in these high layers of air. They found an exceptional cooling of the stratosphere. This has far-reaching effects on the atmosphere and the climate. The study has recently been published in Communications Earth & Environment.

Sunnier and warmer: what the weather station at the University of Graz reveals

Anyone calling up the official weather for Graz ends up at the University of Graz. This is because the meteorological station, in cooperation with GeoSphere Austria, provides the current values for the provincial capital, which can be found on many media portals - including the footer of the University of Graz website.

Tropical early start

The first "Tropentag" in April at Graz University Station

The Warming Stripes of the University of Graz, 1851 - 2022

Based on the method of Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading, climate scientist Armin Schaffer has created so-called "warming stripes" for the University of Graz. These show a clear trend: In particular the hottest average annual temperatures have been increasing in recent years.