Austria Faces Severe Flooding After Unprecedented Rainfall

Alpine regions in Austria were hit by intense rainfall over the weekend, resulting in widespread flooding that submerged parts of Vienna and caused significant damage across the country, according to local authorities and media reports.

In western Austria's St. Anton ski resort, swift-moving torrents of muddy water swept away vehicles on Friday, as shown in videos shared on social media. Meanwhile, on Saturday, record-breaking rainfall drenched parts of Vienna in the eastern part of the country, reported state broadcaster ORF.

In the Doebling district of northern Vienna, a woman was swept under a bus by floodwaters on Saturday, ORF reported. She was subsequently hospitalized in critical condition.

The capital's fire services responded to more than 450 emergency calls on Saturday, as the heavy rains led to traffic disruptions and rail service interruptions, according to ORF.

"Severe storms have caused substantial damage in many regions of Austria," Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated on X, expressing gratitude to the officials involved in the recovery efforts.

In Vienna's Doebling area, officials recorded 110 liters of rainfall per square meter, which ORF Vienna meteorologist Kevin Hebenstreit identified as a record for August.

UBIMET, a weather data firm, noted that a significant portion of Vienna's average summer rainfall fell within just one hour on Saturday. The average August rainfall in Vienna totals 68 liters per square meter, with the historical record being 139 liters on May 15, 1885, according to ORF.

(Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr and Dave Graham; Editing by Frances Kerry and Alex Richardson)