COMBINED TEMPERATURE-PRECIPITATION VARIATIONS IN AUSTRIA DURING THE INSTRUMENTAL PERIOD

Using a dense network of carefully tested and homogenized long-term temperature and precipitation data this paper describes climatic variations during the last 150 years for both these important climatic elements. It turned out that the response of precipitation to climate warming is quite different within a small region, of 7 degrees longitude by 2 degrees latitude. In the western parts of Austria an increase of warm and wet climate has occurred, whereas during the same period in the East an increase of warm and dry conditions has occurred. An even larger variety of spatially different trends appears concerning seasonal evolution. The question of climate change cannot be answered in the same way when taking into account larger regions and not only temperature but also other climatic elements.