Severe storms, including wind gusts up to 140 km/h, moved over Austria on Thursday afternoon. The tragic result: Five people – including two children – died in Carinthia and Lower Austria. Several were injured, some seriously. In Styria, especially in Graz, the storm has caused extensive damage. Even power pylons could not withstand the forces of nature. The result: massive power cuts that paralyzed even the ÖBB.
On Thursday afternoon, the skies initially darkened in Carinthia. The region around Lake Sankt Andräer in the Lavanttal was particularly hard hit. A number of trees could not withstand the strong wind gusts of more than 100 km/h and were uprooted. For two girls, aged three and eight, all help came too late. 13 other people were injured, two seriously.
Alexander Van der Bellen was horrified: it was an immeasurable tragedy “that two children died in the storms”. That touches him deeply. “My thoughts are with their families,” the Federal President wrote on Twitter. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) spoke of a terrible fate for the families.
The storm also led to power outages throughout the eastern half of Carinthia – especially in the districts of St. Veit, Wolfsberg, Klagenfurt-Land and Völkermarkt. Up to 20,000 households were without power.
Three hikers killed after being struck by lightning
A little later the following shocking news: The storm also raged in the Lower Austrian town of Gaming. Lightning apparently struck a tree there, which fell and landed on a hut where hikers had sought shelter. Three people died. The investigation into the identity of the victims is ongoing, Chief Inspector Johann Baumschlager said.
Wind gusts with Tempo 140 in Styria
Shortly before 5 pm there were huge weather changes in Styria. According to Ubimet, wind speeds of 139 km/h were measured in Neumarkt and around 90 km/h in Graz. Power cuts were the result, affecting up to 85,000 households. Gardens were destroyed, objects flew through the air in Graz and other places.
In the center of Graz, a person is believed to have been hit on the head by an object and treated by the Red Cross. In Fisching near Zeltweg and in Deutschlandsberg, electricity poles of 220 kV lines were damaged or completely demolished.
“The extent of the damage is enormous,” said Urs Harnik-Lauris, spokesperson for Energie Steiermark, in the APA interview. Only the districts of Hartberg-Fürstenfeld and southeastern Styria were largely spared. Such damage has not occurred in the past ten years
Rail traffic in the south of the country quiet
The storms also severely impacted power and rail infrastructure in southern Austria. ÖBB stopped all train traffic in Carinthia, East Tyrol and Styria in the afternoon.
The cause was a large-scale failure of the 110 kV traction power supply for the region of Carinthia and Styria, the railways reported. The duration of the interruption is not yet known. Trains on the route were taken to the next station, replacement traffic was only possible to a limited extent. ÖBB promised an emergency timetable.
Frequency festival suspended
The Frequency Festival was also not spared a storm warning. The event had to be interrupted shortly after 5 p.m. on opening day. The police then evacuated the core area. Then dark weeks approached over Green Park, raining, lightning and thunder. Finally, the organizers made it clear.
The storm also hit MotoGP in Spielberg. Numerous tents may have been destroyed or even blown away by the gusts of wind.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
