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Storm warnings over Austria

The Local Austria
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Storm warnings over Austria
Photo: APA (Archiv/epa)

Weather forecasters have issued major storm warnings in Austria for the early hours of Wednesday morning, as the former hurricane Gonzalo vents its remaining fury on the central European region.

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The whole country is likely to be affected, with strong rain and winds of up to 140 km/h.  The storm has already proven to be deadly, with at least one fatality in the UK, when a woman in London was killed by a falling tree.

The Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics has declared the highest alert level storm for Tuesday night, moving in to Wednesday morning.
 
This only happens once every four years. In lowland areas gusts up to 100 km / h can be expected, said ZAMG meteorologist Andreas Frank. 
 
In the mountains, the storm may well be stronger. The warning is valid from 22.00 until 4.00 am Wednesday.
 
A cold front with snow and rainstorms will move from the west over Austria. The snow line will drop to 800 meters.
 
There is a precipitation warning for Wednesday, with strong rain and snow lingering in the northern alps.
 
The snow is likely to cause problems on roads and the rail services.   Asfinag, the publicly-owned corporation which collects highway tolls in Austria,  expects up to 15 cm of fresh snow on Wednesday on the Tauern motorway (A10).
 
Motorists in affected areas are advised to be especially cautious on the roads, as many are traveling without winter tires.  The statutory obligation for switching to winter tires begins on November 1st.
 

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