Environment & Climate
The storm that hit Vienna on Saturday afternoon brought unprecedented rain. So far, the Hohe Warde station has received 110 liters of rain per square metre, more than ever before in a summer month.
“Due to this storm front, which has mainly hit the inner districts, a large number of operations have to be carried out by the Vienna Professional Fire Department. Increased operational readiness has also been announced,” explained Martin Hofbauer from the Vienna Professional Fire Department. This means that operations can be carried out quickly.
A spokesperson for the fire department said that the work was done due to water ingress due to heavy rains and flooding of the roads. As of 4 p.m. there are 220 storm activities, most of which have been processed. “Essentially, the emergency services are split between operations so that we always have enough forces for human rescue and firefighting operations.”
The previous record was 76 litres
Heavy rain led to a record August, ORF Vienna meteorologist Kevin Hebenstreit reported. At the Hohe Warde station in Döbling, 110 liters of water fell from the sky per square meter. On average, August receives a total of 68 liters of rain per square metre. The all-time record was 139 liters on May 15, 1885. A look at the Anderla weather station shows how unevenly distributed rain is in Vienna. There has been 0.3 liters of rain so far.
Train traffic was disrupted
Due to heavy rain, train service between Hernels and Heligenstadt was suspended. The tracks were flooded. Suburban line S45 is affected, which ÖBB asks to switch to Wiener Linnen. Tram lines 37 and 42 were disrupted in the upper Währinger Straße area because a branch fell on the overhead line.
