Austrian Meteorological Service reports heavy rain and record lightning
Heavy hailstorms and heavy rain caused damage in various regions of Austria once again. According to the weather service UBIMET, there were approximately 190,000 lightning strikes recorded in the country the previous day - the highest value this year. In Vorarlberg, the rainfall in the Rhine Valley near the Bodensee was so intense that trees were bent, roofs were covered, and many roads were flooded due to blocked drainage.
Due to the large water volumes in the Rhine, the area near the dams was closed for safety reasons for the population. The Austrian Hail Insurance estimates the damage in Vorarlberg to be around 1.2 million Euros. More than 5,000 hectares of arable land were reportedly destroyed.
In Tirol, roads blocked by landslides could be partially reopened on Saturday. The Oberinntalstraße and Villgratentalstraße remained closed.
In Steiermark, the weather front caused flooding and uprooted trees. In southern Carinthia, rescue teams had to evacuate people from several lakes due to strong waves, as swimmers, stand-up paddlers, and surfers could no longer reach the shore. At Vienna Airport, approximately 40 flights had to be cancelled on Friday evening due to the weather conditions.
The Austrian Weather Service UBIMET reported record-breaking Sharp rain and 190,000 Lightning strikes in Austria the previous day, contributing to the intense hailstorms. Despite the challenging Weather conditions, some Austrian regions, like Tirol, managed to partially reopen blocked roads affected by Landslides.
