Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WEATHER

Germany raises avalanche alert after skiier deaths

Heavy snowfall in southern Germany and the deaths of skiers prompted authorities Sunday to raise the avalanche alert warning in the Bavarian Alps to the second-highest level.

Published: 7 January 2019 08:12 CET
Germany raises avalanche alert after skiier deaths
Rescue workers searched on Saturday for a woman who was buried by an avalance in the Teisenberg mountain range near Bavaria. Photo: DPA

The Bavarian avalanche warning service said it had boosted the alert level to four on a scale of five, warning of a “great danger of avalanches in the Bavarian Alps”.

A 20-year-old woman died Saturday after she was buried by an avalanche on the Teisenberg mountain range in Upper Bavaria, near the Austrian border.

Five other people in her ski group were unharmed.

In Wackersberg near Bad Tölz in Upper Bavaria, a 44-year-old skier was killed by falling branches on Sunday evening. The man was hit by a crown of trees that had broken off under the snow load, police said.

The man was immediately dead. According to police, he was travelling alone. Subsequent skiiers found him and alerted the emergency services.

On Sunday, two German skiers died in avalanches in the Austrian mountains. Both died in the western state of Vorarlberg, bordering Germany, the police reported

Meteorologists said they expected the region, already hit by days of heavy snow, to see a further 10 to 40 centimetres of snow by Monday.

A thick blanket of snow snarled rail and road traffic across the state of Bavaria over the weekend, while Munich airport was forced to cancel 130 flights on Saturday.

The situation at the airport eased on Sunday, with 15 flights scrapped by mid-afternoon and others facing minor delays, a spokeswoman told AFP.

Snow staying strong on Monday

By Monday morning there were several road closures throughout Bavaria due to the danger of avalanches. Throughout the German alps, the second highest avalanche warning level went into effect. Further snowfalls have been announced for the next few days.


There was heavy traffic by Siegsdorf on Sunday in Bavaria, where trees had fallen onto the road. Photo: DPA

During the night on Monday, up to 20 centimeters of fresh snow are possible in the Berchtesgadener Land district and up to five centimeters in the Allgäu, according to a meteorologist from the German weather service. He warned of avalanches and snow breaks like falling branches.

In several counties as well as in Lindau, classes were due to be cancelled at many schools on Monday. Authorities, fire brigades and auxiliaries were expected to try to get the public transport system up and running again during the day.

Due to trees that had fallen onto the overhead lines under the snow load, there were numerous transit breakdowns and closures over the weekend.


 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

CLIMATE CRISIS

How global warming is changing the weather in Austria

Extreme weather events have marked almost every month of 2023 in Austria. Experts say this will be the new norm. Here's what the weather could look like in the future.

Published: 16 May 2024 11:58 CEST
How global warming is changing the weather in Austria

Heavy rain, storms, hail, and severe weather events set to intensify and become more common are among the key findings of Austria’s new Climate Status Report. 

“Heavy rain, storms and hail are no longer exceptional events and cause millions in damage. In future, we must join forces even more in the fight against climate change and take effective measures to counteract it”, said Astrid Eisenkopf,  Deputy Governor of Burgenland and Chairwoman of the Provincial Climate Protection Conference.

These events, which caused significant damage in 2023, are projected to become more commonplace, potentially transforming Austria’s weather patterns into a year-round barrage of extremes.

If 2023 repeats itself, here’s what a year could look like regarding the weather in Austria.

READ ALSO: Vast Vienna wastewater heat pumps showcase EU climate drive

January to April

According to the Climate Report, heavy snowfall dominated the weather in January last year. Austria could experience erratic snowfall patterns that disrupt the transportation and tourism industries. In February, storms and strong gusts of wind caused trees to topple. 

In April, late frosts hit the country, affecting the production of fruit trees. 

READ ALSO: What you should know to stay safe in the mountains

May to August

Spring months could be marked by torrential downpours, which could lead to flash floods and overwhelm existing infrastructure already burdened by glacial melt.

According to the report, these months last year saw numerous thunderstorms, with heavy rain, squalls, and hail sweeping across the country. Permafrost thawing caused landslides in Austria, which is set to become more common.

August is the peak summer month in Austria, and it also sees extreme storms and heatwaves. Last year, massive rainfall in the south of Austria caused countless damages, including flooding, mudslides, and landslides, as well as high lake and groundwater levels. In Carinthia, people had to be evacuated in 66 of 132 municipalities.

READ ALSO: Europe could soon face ‘nearly 100,000 deaths a year linked to extreme heat’

In Styria, 280 landslides occurred due to the days of rainfall. Almost 1,000 fire departments and 16,000 firefighters were deployed more than 6,000 times. In total, damage amounting to over 100 million euros was recorded from August 3rd to 6th.

Four heatwaves occurred over the course of the year, two of which lasted an unusually long time, lasting up to 18 days (July) and 16 days (August).

READ ALSO: How is Vienna planning to deal with heatwaves?

September to December

The report shows that September and October will go down as the “warmest autumn” in recorded history. 

The sun shone for an average of 1,605 hours over the year. At 1,275 mm, the Austrian average precipitation over the year was 21 percent higher, so it was hot and rained a lot. 

Several new state records were set for precipitation totals, especially in November and December. The year ended with the storm “Zoltan,” which damaged roofs, caused power outages, and blocked roads and rail links in almost all parts of the country.

 “The 2023 climate assessment shows that it is necessary to adapt as well as possible to the existing and expected future impacts.”, said Herbert Formayer, scientific director of the report and professor at the Institute of Meteorology and Climatology (BOKU).

READ ALSO: How to protect yourself during storm season in Austria

He added: “Not only the extent of the damage but also the risk potential for the population is increasing. Unfortunately, we saw this far too often last year: people who were in distress had to be evacuated or were cut off from their drinking water supply. 

‘Adaptation measures and climate protection are an absolute must and urgently needed, not only for agriculture and forestry, which are severely affected by extreme weather but also for the security of supply for the population.”

SHOW COMMENTS