Gusts of up to 100 km/h trigger around 150 firefighter operations in Upper Austria

Affected regions at a glance

In the district of Vöcklabruck, fire departments were dispatched to several operations involving trees that had fallen onto roads and vehicles. In the district of Rohrbach and the district of Freistadt, blocked traffic routes also had to be cleared, the State Fire Command reported.

No exact figures were initially available on the distribution of the roughly 150 operations among the individual districts. According to the State Fire Command, however, emergency crews were deployed across the entire area to clear the damage and reopen closed roads.

Shift from heat to storm

The storm followed immediately after a phase of exceptional heat in Upper Austria, which had only reached its peak on Friday. The rapid shift from extreme warmth to powerful wind gusts is considered a typical seasonal pattern among meteorologists, when cold air pushes over intensely heated ground.

According to initial findings, no one was injured. The damage tally was largely limited to toppled trees, damaged power lines, and loose roof parts. In some cases, households had to temporarily do without electricity until the grid operators were able to restore the lines.

Advisories from the emergency services

The State Fire Command called on the public to avoid contact with toppled power lines and to report damage directly via the emergency number. Vehicles should not be parked near trees or scaffolding as long as further gusts remained possible.

Josef Haslhofer, spokesperson for the State Fire Command, thanked the emergency crews for their swift and coordinated response. According to the responsible agencies, the weather situation was expected to calm down during the course of the evening, but further gusts could not be ruled out.

Weather outlook

Weather services pointed out that, following the heatwave, locally strong thunderstorms and storm gusts were still to be expected. Residents were asked to secure loose objects on balconies and in gardens and to keep windows and doors closed.

Overall, the day once again showed how quickly a storm front can build up after a heatwave. For Upper Austria, the risk of further severe weather remains elevated for the time being, according to the authorities, and fire department readiness will be maintained.

Meteorologists expect temperatures to temporarily drop after the storm before midsummer values could once again be possible over the course of the coming week. This will also increase the risk of further weather shifts involving gusts and thunderstorms.