Shocking Incident in Wels

Very windy, but far too little rain

In the outdoor dining area, a tree fell, striking a streetlight, which then fell on a man.(Bild: Matthias Lauber/laumat.at)

Strong winds, a slight drop in temperature, only scattered rain, and numerous fire department calls—that’s how last night in Upper Austria can be described.  A dangerous incident occurred in Wels. A tree had toppled and fallen onto a streetlight, which then injured a patron (74).

It was more of a storm front than a thunderstorm front that swept across large parts of Upper Austria on Friday night. “It only rained locally in the Innviertel region, near the Kobernaußerwald,” says Josef Haslhofer of Geosphere Austria, offering a sobering assessment.

In Wels, a dangerous situation arose. In an outdoor dining area, the storm had snapped a chestnut tree in half. The tree subsequently fell onto a streetlight, which in turn struck a 74-year-old guest. The man sustained a minor injury to his forehead. The fire department had to secure and cut up the tree; the outdoor dining area was, of course, closed off.

Many Fallen Trees
The stormy winds, which swept across nearly the entire state, kept the fire departments on their toes. Only in the Upper Mühlviertel region did things remain comparatively calm. Fire departments ultimately responded to 150 calls starting around 8 p.m. due to the violent gusts, which at times reached speeds of up to 102 km/h. In Steinbach am Attersee, a crane was in danger of toppling over, but in most cases, fallen trees had to be removed and secured.

Rain Overnight into Sunday
The long-awaited rain might finally arrive overnight into Sunday. “Especially in the southern part of the state, there should even be heavy rain in some areas,” said Josef Haslhofer.