At the Sonnblick Observatory of ZAMG in Salzburg, at 3,109 meters above sea level, there have so far only been 18 frost days (days with air temperature at least temporarily below zero degrees; evaluation up to and including 27.

In western Austria (Vorarlberg and Tyrol) the summer of 2019 was 2.2 to 2.7 degrees too warm. Further to the east, the temperature deviations were between 2.5 and 3.3 degrees.

At the beginning of this summer was the sunniest June in measurement history (since 1925). It brought 50 percent more sunshine than the average. However, this was followed by months with relatively little sun compared to June. In July, the sun shone five percent longer than the average. August is expected to bring 15 percent less sunshine than the average.

Low number of days with freezing temperatures in the high mountains

Also noteworthy this summer is the small number of days with minus temperatures in the high mountains. At the Sonnblick Observatory of ZAMG in Salzburg, at 3,109 meters above sea level, there have only been 18 frost days (days with air temperature at least temporarily below zero degrees; evaluation up to and including August 27). In an average summer there are 43 days of frost. On the Sonnblick there was only one ice day (air temperature below zero degrees all day). The average summer is eleven to twelve. This means that the frost and ice days on the Sonnblick currently correspond exactly to the record values from 2003.

The high temperatures in the high mountains also made themselves felt in the snow cover. From August 21st, only remnants of snow remained at the observatory’s measuring point. The fact that the snow cover on the Sonnblick goes back so far in August is not entirely unusual and in the past it happened about every ten years. In recent years, however, such events have increased and the length of days without snow cover has increased.

Unusual drought

The drought was also unusual: throughout Austria, the summer of 2019 brought 30 percent less rainfall than an average summer. This results in a place among the seven driest summers in measurement history. It started with the driest June since measurements began. But the following two months also brought 25 percent less rainfall. At some measuring stations, new drought records are even emerging, for example in Admont (ST), Bad Bleiberg (K), Rauris (S) and Ried im Innkreis (Upper Austria). According to ZAMG, however, the amount of rain during the last days of August will decide the final placement.

In large parts of Austria, the amount of rain was 15 to 45 percent below the average. The greatest precipitation deficits were in Lungau (S), Tennengau (S), in parts of Upper Styria, in Upper Austria along the Enns and in the Ybbstal Alps. In these regions there was 45 to 60 percent less precipitation than the average, reported the ZAMG.essay websites The wettest place this year was in St. Leonhard / Pitztal (T), where the deviation from the long-term average was 32 percent.

Few lightning bolts

The 2019 thunderstorm season has seen fewer lightning strikes than ever since measurements by the Austrian lightning detection system ALDIS began in 1992. ZAMG sees the reason for this in cool May and the often stable high-pressure weather conditions in June, July and August. So far this year, ALDIS has registered around 77,700 lightning strikes to the ground. That was around 50 percent less than the average (period 1992 to 2018).

The preliminary balance at the end of the month is based on the first evaluation of the approximately 270 weather stations of the ZAMG as well as on the spatial climate analysis at 84,000 data points in Austria using SPARTACUS. This observation dataset describes the spatial distribution of the daily air temperature and total precipitation in Austria. Some of the data from the weather stations go back to the 18th century. The SPARTACUS data are available nationwide up to 1961.

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The Chamber of Labor (AK) Vienna attests the craftsmen “” golden prices “” in their current price monitor. An installer hour is therefore around 91 euros on average. How prices are regulated and what to look out for when requesting a craftsman.

From mid-July to mid-August, the Chamber of Labor raised the prices for a craftsman’s hour of work as well as the travel costs. In addition, the prices of key and unlocking services were checked. A total of 81 craft businesses in Vienna were examined: 11 electricians, 12 tilers, 12 glaziers, 14 gas-water plumbers, 7 thermal baths factory and indoor services, 10 painters and 15 locksmiths (including 10 unlocking services).

Craftsmen demand this per hour worked

The experts found out: An electrician assembly hour costs between 68 and 108 euros (average: around 89 euros). A skilled tiler hour costs between 58 and 78 euros (average: around 66 euros). A skilled glazier hour costs between 64 and 98 euros (an average of around 76 euros). An hour of skilled workers at a gas-water plumber costs between 73 and 113 euros (average: around 91 euros). A technician hour at the thermal spa customer service costs between 97 and 132 euros (average: around 122 euros). A painter’s skilled worker hour costs between 47 and 66 euros (average: around 57 euros).

Craftsman CostInfogram

Source: Price Monitor Vienna Chamber of Labor 2019

“” In addition to the price for the craftsman’s hour of work, there are also travel time costs or a flat-rate travel allowance, “said AK consumer advocate Manuela Delapina in a broadcast. The amount of travel costs also depends on whether the craftsman is in his own district or has a longer journey.

When is it usury?

But how much can prices fluctuate? “” In principle, prices can be set off according to supply and demand. However, if more than half of the average estimated price is charged for the service, this would be usury and the price charged too much would then be enforceable “, says Delapina. Of course, the hourly rate also varies depending on the trade. The calculation would include the personnel, storage and training costs of the skilled workers. If a customer is dissatisfied with the service or the price of the craftsman, he can turn to the following offices, according to the AK expert:

to the professional associations of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce who are also interested in uncovering black sheep.
to the Chamber of Labor as a consumer representative

This can save costs

Because there are such large price fluctuations, it is worth comparing prices or offers. “When it comes to travel expenses, you should definitely ask exactly how they are charged,” says Delapina.

These tips will help you save money:

Tradespeople often charge the hourly rate of working hours for travel time. Therefore, one should inquire carefully, choose a craftsman in the vicinity and inquire whether a flat-rate travel allowance is possible.
Find out about evening, night, weekend, Sunday and public holiday surcharges from the emergency services. The business hours are not the same for all companies.
Emergency services often advertise with strikingly low prices. This can hide cost traps (travel surcharge, etc.). The website of the emergency services should always contain information about the company headquarters. The best thing to do is to inquire about the maximum costs by phone.
If you notice from the on-site emergency services that it is likely to be a fraud, never pay in cash. Ask for an invoice and a payment slip. Do not allow yourself to be put under pressure – otherwise call the police if necessary, as the AK advises.
You only need to pay for a quote if you have been advised to do so. A cost estimate is binding unless the opposite (i.e. non-binding, approximate) is expressly stated.
A binding cost estimate is considered to be fixed – even if the company has offset itself, it may not ask for more. If, with a non-binding cost estimate, the costs for the work are considerably higher than in the estimate, i.e. more than ten to 15 percent, this must be discussed with you.
At the Board of Trustees for Burglary Protection and Property Security you will find certified unlocking service members and your own unlocking hotline – phone: 0590 900 55 99.

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The criminal case against ex-finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, Walter Meischberger, Peter Hochegger, Ernst Karl Plech and others continued today Tuesday after a six-week summer break in the Vienna criminal court. The broker Ernst Karl Plech is still missing from the ranks of the defendants, he must now come to the Buwog trial on October 1st to check his ability to negotiate.

The former Buwog supervisory board president Plech was declared incapable of standing for health reasons in May 2018, a few months after the start of the trial in December 2017. A new report ordered by Judge Marion Hohenecker, however, confirmed the defendant’s ability to stand trial again. On the other hand, Plech made a petition that he could not take part in the hearing for health reasons. The now 75-year-old has heart problems, it said.

Also interesting: Why the Grasser process takes so long

Instead of Plech, only his lawyer appeared today, on the 104th day of the trial – who was immediately sent home by the judge at the start of the trial. “” Why are you there? “” She asked him. He had to come back to the hearing on October 1st, with Plech, then his submission would be checked, the judge said. Not without the postscript to the defense attorney: “” Of course I was pleased that you came. “”

Hochegger’s lawyer argued that his client got pain after long periods of sitting after hip surgery in the summer. The defense lawyer asked whether Hochegger could get up briefly during the hearing if he was in pain. Judge Hohenecker granted him this if he would do it “” civilly “” and quietly.

Today’s witness, Heinrich Traumüller, will be heard on the witness stand for the fifth time. Traumüller was initially head of the cabinet of Grasser and then, as a top official, was responsible for the privatization of federal apartments. “” I saw myself as the head of privatization, “said Traumüller.

Your fitted kitchen is sick of your neck, the tiles have seen better days and when you see the dining table and chairs do you feel completely different? You would love to completely renovate your kitchen … if it didn’t cost that much. But don’t worry: with a little creativity and the right tricks, things can be cheaper too! We’ll tell you how to pimp your kitchen in no time.

1. Do it colorful

White kitchen furniture already has its advantages: it is simple, adaptable and timeless. The only downside: sooner or later you will get tired of them and they look boring. Only one thing helps: Bring color into your kitchen. Which is not to say that you have to replace all of your kitchen furniture right away. Grab a bucket of paint and a paintbrush and paint the walls however you want.

2. New kitchen look in no time at all

If the white fitted kitchen is so annoying that not even a few colorful walls bring the long-awaited change, it’s best to glue one. More precisely: the cupboards. And self-retaining colored foil is glued. You can get them in any hardware store. Then it’s just a matter of taking your measurements, transferring them to the foil, cutting them out and sticking them on. And the kitchen shines in a new color.

3. Don’t overdo it

However, you should keep one thing in mind: Limit yourself to one, at most two main colors. Because the kitchen is a place where people work. And so it can happen that the highest order does not always prevail. A uniform color code – ideally also applied to dishes and all other utensils – keeps the chaos within limits, at least visually.

4. Away with it!

There are space guzzlers everywhere – also in the kitchen. Whether it’s a juicer, the special collection of old jam jars or the rusty kitchen strainer – what is no longer used has no place in the kitchen. So off to the flea market with the rubbish. You will be amazed how much freer you feel afterwards!

5. New look for old tiles

The tiles in your kitchen date from a distant past and do they look the same? But exchanging is out of the question for financial or various other reasons? Then cheat! In the hardware store you can get special tile paint with which the good old pieces can be easily painted over.

6. Everything under control

If you want to give your kitchen cabinets a new look, you don’t have to replace them right away. Often new door handles or knobs do the same. They are available in all imaginable colors and shapes. It is advisable to mount the handles in the already existing drill holes. If this is not possible, at least make sure that the new handles cover the old holes.

7. Fresh from the flea market

The floor-to-ceiling designer kitchen is no longer the hottest trend. On the other hand, individually designed kitchens are very popular. Bring your own preferences and ideally your whole personality right away.