Stormy weather & co.

Mountain weather: What to look out for on tours!

Harmless spring clouds, rain showers and an approaching thunderstorm - especially in a changeable summer like this year, there is often a lot going on in the sky.(Bild: Hannes Wallner)

Austria's most experienced mountain meteorologist Gerhard Hohenwarter is convinced that there is no such thing as a sudden and unexpected change in the weather. He explains why and what to look out for on tours.

The summer - meteorologically it has already begun - has been exasperating so far. Rain alternates with sunshine almost every day. "We have a well-worn weather pattern," sighs Hohenwarter: "The strong summer sun warms the ground, warm, humid air rises and rain showers form - like in the tropics and again and again."

What could stop this process? "A stable area of high pressure that dries out the air," explains Gerhard: "But there is currently no such stable high in sight, which also makes planning mountain tours in the Eastern Alps particularly tricky this year."