Vienna records the most depressing winter in thirty years
The Austrian capital Vienna is experiencing a winter that is considered the most depressing in three decades, amid an unprecedented lack of sunshine hours, which has clearly affected the psychological and mood state of the city's residents, with continuous gray weather and thick fog hanging over the atmosphere for weeks.
Climate data shows that this winter is characterized by exceptional conditions in terms of low solar radiation, with December recording only 38 hours of sunshine, compared to a long-term average of 52 hours, while January had 55 hours of sunshine, which is close to the usual average of 58 hours. However, February has not recorded any sunny hours so far, at a time when it is usually expected to record around nine hours of sunshine at this stage of the year.
According to (Kevin Hebenstreit), a meteorologist at ORF Wien, Vienna is currently experiencing its darkest winter in thirty years, explaining that the last similar winter in terms of low light was in the 1995/96 season, which makes the current situation exceptional compared to previous years. Hebenstreit noted that recent decades have generally seen an improvement in the number of sunshine hours in Vienna, with an increase of nearly 20 percent due to improved air quality and reduced pollutants, thanks to environmental protection measures. However, the current weather situation, characterized by cold, humid, and stable fog, has led to prolonged light blockage and returned the city to a gloomy winter atmosphere.
These weather conditions directly reflect on the daily lives of the residents, as several citizens expressed their feelings of psychological fatigue and ongoing sadness, with difficulty in maintaining their usual activity, despite some attempts to cope with the gloomy weather through exercising or indoor activities. In this context, psychologist Marc Nairz-Federspiel warned that a lack of light for extended periods can lead to what is known as seasonal depression, explaining that reduced exposure to natural light affects the body's biological clock, leading to a disruption in the sleep-wake cycle, a constant feeling of fatigue and lethargy, along with an increasing desire to sleep similar to a state of winter hibernation.
Nairz-Federspiel explained that many resort to taking vitamin D supplements to alleviate the effects of light deficiency, but this step alone may not be sufficient. He pointed out that some people use the herb St. John's Wort, which may help improve mood, but it is not free from side effects and should be approached with caution. He noted that light therapy is considered one of the most effective means in such cases, where special lamps that mimic daylight can be used, recommending daily sessions lasting about thirty minutes, while paying attention to the intensity and type of light. He pointed out that many users reported a noticeable improvement in their mental state after adhering to this method. Despite the foggy and cold weather, doctors and experts emphasized the importance of going outdoors regularly, as it has a positive effect on physical and mental health, even in the absence of direct sunlight. While weather experts indicated the possibility of some hours of sunshine during the weekend, they predicted that cloudy weather would continue until the middle of next week. According to the platform VIENNA.AT, this exceptional winter presents Vienna with daily psychological challenges, while waiting for the weather conditions to improve and for the sun to return to the city's sky.