1700 forces in action

Salzburg firefighters: “Are well coordinated”

Part of the Wagrain main road has been torn away.

(Bild: Land Salzburg)

Lightning, flooding and mudslides: two nights in a row, over 1700 firefighters were called out across the country due to the severe storms. The damage is immense. Now it's time to clean up. A meteorologist gives "Krone" readers an outlook. First of all: it will remain thundery.

It goes from very early to very late, says Klaus Portenkirchner, while the next operation can be heard on the radio in the background: a forest fire near Weißbach, caused by lightning. "There are all sorts of things going on at the moment," says the Pinzgau district fire brigade chief about his impressions. From mudslides, floods and fires to wasp nests. "But we still have reserves and are already well-rehearsed," says the Dienten resident, praising the volunteers and emphasizing the "excellent cooperation".

Cars were also hit by mudslides, as here on the Wagrainer Straße.

(Bild: Land Salzburg)

As reported, heavy thunderstorms unleashed on Tuesday and Wednesday nights: together, more than 1700 volunteers were active at a total of 319 locations. During the day, high temperatures are used for clearing up, as was the case on Wednesday: torrent barriers in particular have to be cleared in case a debris flow returns - it is known to remain thundery. On the closed Wagrain federal road, state geologist Gerald Valentin checked the situation: "With such large amounts of rain this week, thousands of tons of material have been set in motion and the road has been badly affected."

Lightning struck a house in Hallwang.

(Bild: FF Seekirchen und FF Hallwang)

The geologist is aware of the "well-known problem area" caused by the soft slate rock. The road maintenance teams and companies are working flat out to clear the road. The B164 will remain closed for at least two weeks - traffic will be diverted via the A10. And: parts of the Liechtensteinklamm gorge in St. Johann are closed.

Meteorologist: "More energy in the air due to the heat"
 The next few days will continue in the same vein as the past two days. With one exception: "The peak was already on Tuesday night," says Christian Ortner from Geosphere Austria (formerly ZAMG).

Meteorologist Christian Ortner

(Bild: Yasmin Markl/ZAMG)

However, the expert also says in the "Krone" interview: "It's difficult to say exactly where a thunderstorm will develop." The people of Salzburg also saw a conspicuous amount of lightning. Why was that? It's difficult to say, as research is not yet very advanced in this area. But Ortner generally explains: "Intense thunderstorms thrive on humid conditions. And the more humid the air on the ground, the more energy is in the air and the more it cracks."

Today, Wednesday evening, there will be thunderstorms again: "But the focus is likely to be on southern Bavaria." From Saturday, however, it won't be quite so hot, the weather expert announces: "Showers will spread everywhere and the air will cool down a little." Instead of 30 degrees on the thermometer, it will then be closer to 25 - so it will still be summery.