Austria was gripped by extreme weather conditions over the weekend, with heavy rain and strong winds hitting much of the country.
The country's meteorological institute GeoSphere Austria said that in just a few days, some regions have seen up to four times the average rainfall in September.
Authorities were closely monitoring the situation on Monday as conditions remained challenging. They warned the weather will remain challenging and that the rain was expected to ease only by Tuesday.
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Record-breaking rainfall
Since Thursday, Austria has been lashed by torrential rain, with regions like Lower Austria and Vienna recording unprecedented levels.
GeoSphere Austria weather stations reported 300 to 350 millimetres of rainfall in areas such as St. Pölten, Lilienfeld, and Reichenau an der Rax and 200 to 240 millimetres in places like Zwettl and Vienna’s Innere Stadt. This is far above the usual rainfall for the entire month of September.
In Vienna alone, the past few days have seen over 280 millimetres of rain at the Mariabrunn weather station – four times the usual amount for this time of year, setting a new September record.
Adding to the challenge, a cold snap brought snow to many mountain areas. In places like Rudolshütte and Feuerkogel, snow depths of over a metre were recorded, while lower regions saw lighter snowfall.
High winds were also recorded, with peak speeds reaching 125 km/h at the Rax mountain station and exceeding 100 km/h in various other locations.
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Weather outlook for the coming days
Monday's forecast showed a slight improvement in conditions by Tuesday, though some rain and strong winds will persist, GeoSphere Austria said.
On Monday, the rain was set to continue, particularly in eastern Austria and the Tyrolean lowlands, with snow levels rising to between 1,500 and 2,000 metres. By Tuesday, widespread rainfall was expected to taper off, giving way to occasional sunshine.
Wednesday and Thursday should bring further relief, with only isolated showers forecast along with some sunny spells, particularly in northern Austria.
On Monday Vienna remained on high alert despite a slight drop in water levels. Officials cautioned that further rainfall could cause levels to rise again, and a crisis team was closely monitoring the situation.
The Wien River catch basins have been emptied to create "storage space" for potential flooding, but authorities remained cautious about the coming days.
Das #Hochwasser ist auch eine Katastrophe für die Landwirtschaft und hat ganze Ernten vernichtet. An der Neuen Donau in Wien wurden unzählige Kürbisse angespült. ? pic.twitter.com/m4UOBfsaaU
— Daniel Schrott ☀️ (@DanielSchrott) September 16, 2024
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