Fresh snow also possible

Red warning level: severe weather with hail is raging here

On Friday afternoon, the first federal states were on red alert - severe storms with rain, thunderstorms and hail were forecast.

(Bild: soleg - stock.adobe.com)

As announced at the beginning of the week, a cold front is currently moving across western Austria. Already on Friday afternoon, the first federal states were under a red warning. In the evening (as of 9.24 pm), this included Lower Austria, Burgenland and Tyrol.

Severe storms with rain, thunderstorms and hail have already put the emergency services on alert. In Vorarlberg and Tyrol in particular, weather experts were expecting heavy rain and thunderstorms over the next few hours, with even fresh snow possible on the mountains. The first hail warnings have also been issued in Tyrol. 

In Vienna, the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics is reporting a thunderstorm on Saturday night. There will be several rain breaks after midnight. For the federal capital and Upper Austria, the Austrian Severe Weather Center (UWZ) reported a level yellow, i.e. an early warning.

More than 130 operations in Vorarlberg
In the remaining federal states, such as Salzburg, Carinthia and Styria, it is already raining heavily in some places. On Friday evening, the fire department was on alert in south-eastern Styria, for example.

During the day, there were intermittent heavy rain showers and thick clouds in North Tyrol. Towards the evening, the focus shifted further towards Vorarlberg, which could last until Saturday morning. By the evening, the fire department had been called out to more than 130 incidents, mostly due to flooded buildings. Flooding was registered on the Leiblach river on the border with Germany. Statistically, this only happens once every 100 to 300 years.

Small-scale flooding, landslides or debris flows are possible throughout the country, warned the regional council.

22 degrees in the east
The snow line will also drop to between 2000 and 1600 meters in the west. Drivers should expect more wet snow on the roads. Temperatures will climb to a maximum of ten degrees in the western mountains. In the east, however, it will remain humid throughout with temperatures of up to 22 degrees.

It remains unsettled
In the coming days, the weather will continue to show its unstable side. Rain showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout Austria. Temperatures will drop significantly, preventing the start of summer.