Strong gusts of wind

Caution: The new week is off to a stormy start here

(Bild: APA/dpa/Boris Roessler (Symbolbild))

The new working week got off to a stormy start in eastern Austria. In the Danube region in particular, gusts of wind, some of them strong, have been tearing at hoods and hoods since the early hours of the morning, making going to work a feat of strength. On Monday afternoon, the Austrian Federal Gardens also responded by closing several parks in Vienna.

Particularly in the urban canyons of Vienna, progress was sometimes difficult due to the gusts. At midday, the Augarten, Burggarten and the southern part of Schönbrunn Palace Park - the Gloriette Hill - were closed. In Schönbrunn, the Meiereitor and the Maria Theresa Gate were also closed, according to the Federal Gardens.

Caution was also advised in parts of Lower Austria this morning. A red alert was even issued in some regions and parts of Vienna.

Around 60 operations in Vienna so far
Vienna's professional fire department has been on storm duty repeatedly since the night. Around 60 operations have been counted so far, but the trend is still rising. The main task was to secure loose roof tiles or window shutters, reported a spokesperson.

Gusts of up to 87 km/h were measured in the inner city and 93 km/h on the Hohe Wand. At the exposed measuring station on the Jubiläumswarte at around 450 meters above sea level, 125 km/h were recorded. However, the storm should subside by the evening, as was reported on request.

High avalanche risk in Lower Austria
The wind also had an impact on the safety situation in the Ybbstal Alps in Lower Austria. There was considerable avalanche danger in places. Level 3 of 5 applied above 1400 meters, the warning service announced. "The danger spots are difficult to recognize in poor visibility conditions," it said. "Slab avalanches can be triggered by the additional load of a person and can reach medium size." The risk was expected to decrease again.

Temperatures higher than last time
There was no need to freeze in the Danube region, however, as temperatures were already much higher on Monday morning compared to the previous days and were expected to reach double digits during the course of the day. According to the forecast, up to 10 degrees plus can be expected.

The stormy wind will slowly run out of steam on Tuesday at the latest. It will only blow moderately to briskly, according to the forecast. There will only be the odd strong gust or two.