Apocalyptic mood

Quad riders had to flee from hail on the Gaberl

Snow later? A hailstorm transformed Gaberl in Styria into a “winter wonderland.”(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Gaberl Skilifte, Krone KREATIV/Gaberl Skilifte)

Apocalyptic atmosphere on Saturday afternoon across much of Styria: Violent thunderstorms with hail swept across the region. At Gaberl, a group of quad riders had to flee the storm.

“The quad group set out in sunny weather and then got caught in the middle of the thunderstorm,” says Thomas Gauss, the operator of the Gaberl ski lifts. The quads, which had been parked in front of the Gaberlhaus, were covered in a layer of hailstones several centimeters thick. In nearby Köflach and Voitsberg, too, the heavens opened, and the fire department had to respond to flooding incidents.

At times, the Styrian capital felt like the end of the world. It poured buckets, with lightning and thunder continuing throughout the afternoon, save for brief breaks. 

A massive thunderstorm with hail also swept through the Murtal valley. Fohnsdorf was particularly hard hit. “It started out more violently than it turned out to be, fortunately,” reported Fire Chief Leo Temnitzer. Only a clogged drain had to be cleared. Storm clouds also gathered in Spielberg (see photo above). Lightning struck a tree, but no one was injured. Due to the heavy rain, however, the “Day of Emergency Services” had to be temporarily suspended.

The “Day of Emergency Services” was canceled.(Bild: Zeiler Tom)

In the early evening hours, the thunderstorm cell moved south and southeast across the state, bringing wind and hail with it.