Chronicle
The storms that hit large parts of Austria late Saturday evening were mostly short — but violent. Severe storms with hurricane-like storms are especially dangerous in many places. The fire brigade was constantly in use – at the Linz Nights Festival, five people were injured by a broken branch, two of them seriously.
A wind speed of 105 km/h was measured at Wolfsegg am Hausruck in the evening, with winds of 100 km/h in the central region. At that time there were many others in the city of Linz at the Knights’ Festival. They were surprised by the storms.
Branch meets the festival visitors
The Linz Professional Fire Department spoke of a chaotic situation, as a branch about 15-20 cm thick suddenly broke from a tree in the playground and hit the guests standing below. A total of five people were injured, two of them seriously – the Red Cross said. The Red Cross was stationed with a large contingent and four ambulances were dispatched to Linz city centre. The Samaritan Society was also on site with three rescue vehicles.
A tree fell on a parked camper at a festival in Kirchdorf an der Krems. The mini bus was completely damaged. The festival was canceled due to strong winds.
2,500 firefighters are on duty
Because of the storm, fire departments may have to protect roofs in some places, and heavy rains are causing flooding. A total of 200 missions were registered in the evening, and 2,500 firefighters were stationed in Upper Austria. After about two and a half hours the scare was over.