Strong hurricane gusts have been hitting Austria since Friday morning. The stormy southern Föhn even caused wind peaks of almost 200 km/h on the Tyrolean Patscherkofel. Geosphere Austria issued the highest warning level “Red” for the rear Zillertal, although “Orange” was still in effect in some areas. Trees snapped and roofs were covered. In the Hohe Tauern near the Rudolfshütte in Salzburg 171 km/h was measured, and at Semmering in Lower Austria 150 km/h. Fire brigade operations were also reported from Carinthia.
Due to the weather conditions in Tyrol, a “red” warning was issued on Friday. According to Geosphere experts, the peak should be reached by noon. In a broadcast, the federal state warned the population to take the warning seriously and adjust their behavior accordingly.
Various traffic disruptions in Tyrol
The foehn also caused traffic disruption in Tyrol. The Brenner railway was closed in the morning because trees had fallen on the overhead lines. A replacement rail service was set up for regional traffic to the Brenner. According to ÖBB route information, long-distance travel between Steinach am Brenner and Bozen was not possible until 6 p.m.
As the Tyrol control center told the APA, around 100 weather-related operations were recorded in the early afternoon, mainly between Innsbruck and Jenbach and in the Wipptal. According to Tinetz, about 2,700 network customers were without power at the beginning of the afternoon.
Fire brigade operations also in Vorarlberg
The strong enemy also kept the emergency services in Vorarlberg on their toes in the morning. The Rescue and Fire Control Center (RFL) recorded 90 missions by the afternoon, mainly concentrated in the greater Feldkirch area. Emergency services have cleared broken trees from the streets and power lines and roofs have been covered. According to the media, in Rankweil (Feldkirch district), a group of kindergartens had to be moved to safety in the forest because a tree fell next to the kindergarten. The group was unharmed.
Thousands of households in the country are without electricity
According to Vorarlberger Energienetze GmbH, 15,000 households in Dornbirn were without electricity for a short time, as well as around 70 customers in Schoppernau (Bregenzerwald) and Satteins (Feldkirch district). There were also power outages in Carinthia. According to Kelag, 3,000 to 4,000 households were affected in the Mölltal, Upper Drautal, Rosental and Nockberge. According to the ÖAMTC, there were closures due to fallen trees on, among others, the Großglockner High Alpine Road (B107), Katschberg Road (B99) and Wurzenpass Road (B109) to the Slovenian border. Relaxation is not expected there until Saturday evening.
There were also several storms in Salzburg on Friday. People were asked to remain cautious. Walks in parks or forests should be avoided.
The Föhn storm is expected to weaken in the evening
The foehn strengthened throughout the day on Friday, peaking in the afternoon and expected to gradually weaken in the evening. According to Geosphere, this is one of the strongest events in recent years.
Source: Krone
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