News

Hot and hotter: Weather station records record-breaking summer temperatures

It has been an exceptionally hot summer so far. The meteorological station at the University of Graz has also reported record temperatures. Unprecedented in the history of weather records dating back to 1894: 44 days above 30 degrees within a single year, six of which were above 35 degrees!

Heat-resistant: Eva Preinfalk explains how cities can protect their residents

Certain demographic and some occupational groups are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures. A range of measures is needed to provide relief for everyone, explains climate economist Eva Preinfalk.

In hot water: New Report reveals record losses in glaciers, permafrost and snow cover

Climate change is driving up temperatures not only in summer. Winters are also getting warmer – with dramatic consequences for glaciers, permafrost, snow cover and the freezing of lakes. The recently published cryosphere report provides specific figures for Austria. “Our monitoring shows a clear trend with record losses of ice and snow,” says project leader Wolfgang Schöner from the University of Graz.

Getting even hotter: Researchers predict global warming of 1.7 degrees by 2027

While Europe is currently sweltering in the heat, global temperatures are also rising towards concerning record levels. In 2026, Earth’s surface air temperature is expected to reach 1.62 degrees, and in 2027 even 1.71 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The long-term temperature rise – an average over a 20-year period – is predicted to exceed the 1.5-degree threshold of the Paris Agreement as of 2026 already. For the first time, researchers at the University of Graz have been able to make such a forecast so far in advance. The intensifying El Niño climate event favors forecast skill and thereby facilitates a reliable computation.

UNIZEIT - Der Natur auf der Spur

Seltene Schmetterlinge, ein plätschernder Bach, wilder Wald. Im steirischen Nationalpark Gesäuse gehen Studierende und Forschende mit der Natur auf Tuchfühlung. Sie untersuchen Wasserproben, umarmen Bäume mit Maßbändern, pflücken Pflanzen auf der Suche nach Umwelt-DNA. Dabei gewinnen sie wertvolle Einsichten in Ökosysteme im Klimawandel.

UNIZEIT - Ist Holz der Weg?

Können Unternehmen profitabel wirtschaften und gleichzeitig die Umwelt schützen? Ja, sagt Bioökonom Tobias Stern. Fossile Rohstoffe einfach durch nachwachsende zu ersetzen, führt allerdings nicht zwangsläufig zum Ziel. Wegwerf-Produkte schneiden in der Ökobilanz immer schlecht ab.

UNIZEIT - Grün im Grau

Ein paar Blüten auf der Fensterbank heben das Gemüt, die schattenspendende Allee auf dem Weg zum Supermarkt erleichtert den städtischen Alltag im Hochsommer. Urbaner Grünraum wird immer wichtiger, bestätigt die Geographin Anke Strüver. Sie erforscht, wie man ihn möglichst allen sozialen Schichten zugänglich machen kann.

How the University of Graz’s Sermilik Station can boost polar research

Ende Mai 2026 trafen sich Polar-Wissenschaftler:innen aus aller Welt an der Uni Graz, um die Forschungsschwerpunkte der Sermilik-Station in Ostgrönland für die nächsten zehn Jahre festzulegen.

More news

From one to many: Uni Graz researchers identify a mechanism for the origin of species

When a habitat changes, animals, plants and even humans must adapt to the new environmental conditions. Those who manage this fastest and best will…

A substantial community: the key role of soil crusts in the earth system

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Workshop: Sermilik Station in an Arctic Perspective

A three-day workshop from 27 to 29 May 2026 on the future of research at Austria’s only Arctic field station held at the Institute of Geography and…

Nachruf - Dagmar Henner 1969–2026

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Sale in der City: Stadtgeographin Anke Strüver über lebendige Innenstädte

Leere Schaufenster anstatt bunter Auslagen – stehen Europas Innenstädte vor dem Ausverkauf? Stadtgeographin Anke Strüver unternimmt einen Streifzug…

Climate research in Greenland: Old data provides new insights

The polar explorer and University of Graz professor Alfred Wegener left behind a unique collection of climate data from Greenland. A research team…

Interdisciplinary Conference - "A Relational World?"

Climate at the cliffs: Researchers unravel the evolution of the Greenland ice margin

Vertical ice walls, up to 40 metres high: in "Game of Thrones" they were dramatised as fortifications; during the Cold War, they were studied with…