This time in Styria

Hail Turns City Into a Winter Wonderland Once Again!

This hailstone impressively demonstrates the force with which the storm swept across parts of Austria on Wednesday afternoon. Köflach was hit particularly hard.(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

The heavens opened: thunderstorms, heavy rain, and, in some places, intense hail struck large parts of Austria on Wednesday afternoon. Köflach was hit particularly hard around 4 p.m.—an extremely heavy hailstorm struck there.

What initially looked like a perfectly normal late-summer day took a sudden turn in many places in the afternoon. There was a risk of severe weather in nearly all federal states, as thunderstorm cells moved across the country, bringing not only heavy rain but also hail. Areas particularly affected included southwestern Styria and southern Burgenland.

Hailstorms in Styria
The power of the thunderstorms was particularly striking in Köflach: Around 4 p.m., the town was caught off guard by an extremely heavy hailstorm.

The ice pellets suddenly came falling from the sky. Within minutes, the summery weather turned into a full-blown hailstorm. A photo from the Austrian Severe Weather Center shows how the hail instantly transformed the town into a winter landscape. Stainz was also hit by a hailstorm (see photo below).

(Bild: Gerald Schwaiger)

Numerous other regions also had to expect severe thunderstorms and hail in the afternoon. Vienna, Upper Austria, and Vorarlberg, however, were spared.

The risk of thunderstorms thus remains the dominant issue for now. Anyone still out and about on Wednesday should keep a close eye on the sky—because the next dark cloud could pack a punch.

As the evening and night progress, the weather will gradually calm down. The showers and thunderstorms will gradually subside, though patches of clouds may still pass through in some areas. Thicker clouds may linger, especially in the northeast, until Thursday morning, and isolated rain showers are still possible along the Alps.

Massive amounts of hail transformed the streets into an icy landscape within just a few minutes.(Bild: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Wagrain)

Just how intense these hailstorms can be was already evident on Monday evening in Wagrain im Pongau. There, such a massive amount of hail fell within about 20 minutes that piles of hail up to half a meter high accumulated on the streets. 

Chance of showers remains low on Thursday
On Thursday, however, the weather will take a more pleasant turn: After a partly cloudy start, the sun will come out more and more often. Conditions will be especially pleasant in the west and south, and the chance of showers will remain low.

And temperatures will once again get you in the mood for summer: highs of up to 30 degrees are possible on Thursday.