Fallen trees – storms rage in Europe: 13 people killed – News

  • At least 13 people were killed in severe storms in the Mediterranean region and Austria.
  • A total of eight people have died on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica and in Tuscany in Italy.
  • Falling trees in Austria have cost the lives of five people. Traffic in the south of the country was paralyzed.

On Thursday, several trees fell at a small bathing lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia, according to the police and the Red Cross in Austria. Two girls aged four and eight died and eleven people were injured, some seriously.

“It caught us all completely unexpectedly,” said an eyewitness to the “Kleine Zeitung”. Bathers were blown over by the hurricane-force storm. In Gaming in the state of Lower Austria, three women were killed by a tree while hiking, the police said.

Storms in Europe leave devastation in their wake

According to the state meteorological service ZAMG, storm speeds of up to 139 km/h were measured on Thursday. Rail traffic was affected in parts of Austria due to blown power poles.

Train cancellations and blocked roads


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Even after the storm, some rail connections in the south of the country remain interrupted. The federal states of Carinthia and Styria were still affected on Friday. Among other things, trains from Vienna to Venice had to be diverted via Salzburg, as announced by the Austrian Federal Railways. Regional connections were also at a standstill.

Dozens of trees fell on the southern autobahn (A2) in Carinthia due to the gusts of wind. There were also power outages in tunnels. The important transport link to Italy was closed in several places for clean-up and repair work. The highway was open to traffic again on Friday.

In Styria, tens of thousands of households were cut off from the power supply because high-voltage lines and 2,000 transformer stations were damaged. “In many cases, our colleagues have to cut their way to the repair work with a chainsaw,” said a spokesman for Energie Steiermark to the ORF broadcaster. It could take days, if not weeks, to fix all the damage.

German weather service warns of continuous rain


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The German Weather Service (DWD) warns of the consequences of extreme continuous rain for the south of Bavaria and parts of Baden-Württemberg. At the edge of the Alps, there is a severe weather warning for extremely heavy continuous rain of up to 140 liters per square meter until Saturday morning. According to the DWD, 50 to 80 liters per square meter are possible in other parts of Bavaria and the extreme south-west of Baden-Württemberg.

The consequences could be flooding of basements and streets, flooding in streams and rivers, flooding of streets and landslides. The population was asked to close windows and doors.

Storms also caused damage and flooding in several parts of France and Italy. Like France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin during a visit on Thursday evening corsica reported that six people died in the storm on the island. 20 people were injured, this is a preliminary balance sheet.

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for the island and its residents. A crisis team was formed at Macron’s vacation spot on the Côte d’Azur in the evening, with the participation of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.

French President Emmanuel Macron on the Côte d'Azur with Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.

Legend:

French President Emmanuel Macron on the Côte d’Azur with Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.

Reuters/Christophe Simon

Gusts with a speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour had swept over Corsica. 45,000 households were temporarily without electricity. Also in other parts of France like in Marseilles there were storms and flooded streets.

Storms sweep across Italy

In the Tuscany A man and a woman were hit by falling trees near Lucca and in the coastal city of Carrara, several media reported. There was a severe weather warning for the north of the country to South Tyrol and large parts of central Italy. Some people suffered injuries in the violent storms with more than 100 kilometers per hour and heavy rain, such as at a campsite in Marina di Massa, Tuscany, when trees fell there.

Tuscany Regional President Eugenio Giani shared on Twitter a video from the coastal town of Piombino of a Ferris wheel being spun by strong winds.

In the northern coastal region of Liguria and in Tuscany, the fire brigade counted more than 150 operations by the afternoon.

Also through the northern Italian lagoon city Venice A violent storm swept down the streets, knocking down umbrellas and tables. According to Ansa, pieces of the wall broke off the church tower at the famous St. Mark’s Basilica in the center. The civil defense convened a crisis team in the afternoon because of the storms in central and northern Italy.

Severe weather warnings are still in effect in Italy


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The Italian population must continue to prepare for severe weather. “Unfortunately, it’s not over yet,” said Luigi D’Angelo from Italian civil defense to the newspaper “La Stampa” on Friday.

The northeast and the center were affected by the storms. Cold air from northern Europe, which meets warm air in the Mediterranean region, is the reason for the heavy downpours, explained the physicist and climate expert Antonio Navarra of the newspaper “Corriere della Sera”.

Italy now seems to be divided in two: While the north and parts of the middle of the boot are affected by storms and heavy rain, numerous forest and bush fires continue to blaze in the south and on the islands.

On the night of Friday, the fire brigades around Palermo fought against several wildfires. Winds and the dry soil caused by the drought fuel the flames. Many fires are caused by arson or human negligence.

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