According to the research institute GfK, Austria's construction related markets suffered from poor weather conditions in the first half of 2013.
The garden season was delayed due to the cold weather in March 2013, leading to 6.7% lower sales in the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period of the previous year.
The building and construction wood sector was also delayed due to the weather, and the peak season was in May instead of April 2013. This caused the sector to decrease by 5.4% in the first half of 2013 compared to the first six months of 2012. However, sales of construction materials rose by 5% in June 2013 following widespread flooding in Austria. Sales of water pumps and trailers for the removal of building debris and demolition materials also increased as a result of the flooding.
