Austria's capital has had a hot and dry August so far. But on Saturday, extreme amounts of rain fell. Severe storms also hit other parts of Austria.
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- In Vienna, a record summer downpour flooded roads and railroad lines.
- The fire department was called out around 600 times due to the storm.
- In St. Anton am Arlberg, clean-up work was underway after a meter-high mudslide fell in one part of the tourist resort.
Heavy rain led to dramatic rescue operations in Vienna. A pedestrian was caught in the masses of water and pushed under a parked bus, according to emergency services. She was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition. Roads, cellars and railways were flooded in parts of the city.
More than 110 liters of rain per square meter fell on the outskirts of Vienna on Saturday. This was the highest value for a summer month in the 152-year history of measurements, as the ORF broadcaster reported. In addition to heavy rain, hail also fell in the Austrian capital. The storm mainly affected the western and northern parts of Vienna.
People rescued from cars and elevators
The fire department was called out around 600 times due to the storm, a spokesperson told the German Press Agency on Sunday. Drivers had to be rescued from their cars, people were stuck in elevators that were blocked due to water ingress in buildings, the spokesman reported. There were initially no further injuries.
Rail and air traffic were also affected. One train line was temporarily suspended. There were delays at Vienna Airport, some of which lasted for hours.
Landslides in western Austria
Since Friday, local storms have also affected other areas of Austria. On the Arlberg, the most important connecting route between the western provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg was closed after landslides and a partial collapse of the roadway.
Clean-up work was underway in St. Anton am Arlberg after a meter-high mudslide hit part of the tourist resort. A bridge was destroyed and several vehicles were swept into a river. No people were injured.
In Salzburger Land, a man was seriously injured in Zell am See when debris from a mudslide entered a house. In Kaprun, Mayor Domenik David described the situation as "very critical" after several landslides. Access to the reservoirs and the glacier lift was closed. There were also several mudslides in the southern province of Styria.
dpa