Stage area cleared

Heavy rain showers are expected again this evening

The area in front of the stage had to be temporarily cleared.(Bild: APA/FLORIAN WIESER)

Following last night’s severe storms in eastern Austria, there is still no all-clear in sight. That’s because heavy showers and thunderstorms—some of them intense—continued to sweep across the country into the evening and night. The Frequency Festival also had to be evacuated at short notice—the danger to guests was too great.

Winds of up to 70 km/h were expected, as the organizer warned Frequency Festival attendees. The area in front of the stages had to be evacuated shortly before Tom Odell’s performance—there was a risk that parts of the stages could collapse.

Visitors Sought Shelter in Halls
Festivalgoers were instructed to seek shelter as quickly as possible. To avoid getting wet, many attendees also ran into the indoor venues on the festival grounds. The canceled concerts will not be rescheduled. The program is set to continue at 9:45 p.m. with a performance by Sido.

Visitors also sought shelter in the halls.(Bild: zVg)

Shortly before Tom Odell’s performance, the program was interrupted.(Bild: zVg)

Videos show the sky opening up over the festival grounds:

Thunder was already rumbling in Upper Austria in the early evening hours. The “Krone” Festival in Linz had to be temporarily suspended for safety reasons. However, the festival grounds are scheduled to reopen at 9:00 p.m.

Dark clouds were also gathering over the “Krone” Festival in Linz.(Bild: FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

2,000 firefighters on duty in Upper Austria
In addition, a storm with winds of up to 100 km/h swept through several districts in Upper Austria. Later in the evening, 2,000 firefighters were on the scene, responding to 180 emergency calls. At Lake Wolfgang, a surfer who had gotten into distress during the storm had to be rescued.

In Salzburg, there had already been several storm-related emergency calls. Strong gusts of wind had toppled several trees. And in Styria, too, a brief but equally violent storm led to several emergency calls.

Violent thunderstorms also struck Carinthia late Friday evening. The same had happened the night before—when lightning struck the Wörthersee observation tower on the Pyramidenkogel.

A photographer managed to capture this rare moment on camera:

The photographer pressed the shutter at exactly the right moment.(Bild: Daniele Iavarone)

Risk of Severe Weather Again
Regionally, there is a risk of severe weather throughout the evening, including hail, heavy rain, and stormy gusts. In the west and northwest, some thunderstorms will transition into prolonged, thunderstorm-laced rain. It will also be particularly windy in the Danube region this evening.

Cool summer night
The UWZ’s thunderstorm warnings also apply to the night leading into Saturday. Temperatures will drop to about 13 to 20 degrees overnight into Saturday.

Weekend to Be More Stable
The weather will not begin to settle down until the weekend: As drier and cooler air from Northern Europe moves in, the influence of a temporary high-pressure system will gradually take hold.