For the next days serious to extreme weather is expected for large regions of Austria.
All weather warnings on a map travelers can see also at this provider: https://uwz.at/.
This kind of weather situation is known as "Vb-Wetterlage" (link to explanation in German language).
Unfortunately I am in Salzburg.
We have a train home tomorrow but I understand Austrian trains, like Austrian planes, get grounded in bad weather.
Good luck for your travel plans.
We are in Vienna now, and were in Salzburg until yesterday. So far, it’s been cold rain for us, though it looked like Salzburg was getting a “wintry mix”. We have a Wachau Valley tour scheduled for tomorrow. So far, we’re still on, but we will see. We are hanging at the hotel today.
Hard to believe it was 90(F) when we arrived on the 5th!
Salzburg. Nothing but heavy drizzle. We are out seeing the town.
We have a train home tomorrow but I understand Austrian trains, like Austrian planes, get grounded in bad weather.
Don't worry too much. You will have rain between Salzburg and Vienna, but when going further east you will leave the rain zone.
This is the most precise two-day rain forecast for Austria, updated every 6 hours. On the bottom you can see date and time, the colors indicate the intensity of the rain. You can stop the movie by clicking on the slider, by moving it you can observe the situation at a certain point in time. (The red dots on the map denote the capitals, i.e. Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, etc.)
Windy shows the cross-border rain forecast for the next days.
Click on rain and the the play button.
Thanks for the links.
We are prepared for the weather, so I hope we still go.
Despite the high heat, and now cold, we’ve had a great trip so far. Back to the US on Wednesday, where the temps here show low 70s-hah!
MarkK, thanks, but I sort just go with the flow and don't worry about things. There is always a Plan B.
The best info for travel is here https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/austria-oebb-weather-related-travel-warning-9-13-9-15.
And here. https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp/?P=HimSearch&start=1
We arrive in Salzburg on Wednesday. I hope the weather improves by then!
Windy shows the cross-border rain forecast for the next days.
That displays the weather on a larger scale for about ten days, wheras this allows you to see at what time the rain will start/end at a certain place in Austria with a stunning exactness. Its base is a special mathematical weather model of Austria, having subdivided the country's area in little squares of 1 km by 1 km for the calculation.
We're scheduled to depart Munich for Italy tomorrow morning. Much of the initial journey will be through Austria. Not optimistic that the train will actually run. If it does, though, we should see some snow as we ride through the Alps and the Dolomites.
Yesterday I saw a video that high altitude Obertauern saw 30 cm of new snow.
I do not know if the video is geo-fenced:
https://www.n-tv.de/mediathek/videos/panorama/Obertauern-versinkt-im-Schnee-Urlauber-stecken-fest-article25225445.html
My train from Salzburg to Budapest arrived from Munich just fine, and left on time to Budapest by way of Vienna, just fine.
The signs in the station request that you limit to essential travel, but they also say the only cancelations are between a few Bad towns.
5c in Salzburg today and raining heavier.
We are in Vienna also and the weather is rainy,windy,and cold. We used the underground to get to the Schoenbrun Palace. It was so windy there I could barely walk. I think were going to also hang out at the hotel the rest of the day. I tried to change our reservations in Wurzburg Germany and leave Vienna tomorrow but the hotel didn't have a room for us for Sunday. We would have had to change our train tickets that we bought a month ago. This is the first time we have had adverse weather that made getting out difficult in our years of travel, so I guess we were due. Our son brought card and dice games along so we are going to play.
Temperature has dropped 50 degrees F since midweek. Right now it's 41 F in Munich. And the rain continues.
Our Wachau Valley tour proceeded, though without the boat ride. Three cheers to our bus driver, Soren, for basically driving through a gale. The Danube is swollen beyond its banks, and volunteer firefighters were installing flood gates. More cold and rainy today in Vienna.
Our Wachau Valley tour proceeded, ...
Hope you will be fine. The State of Lower Austria has declared itself as a disaster area and called for a national emergency.
I understand it got really messy in Austria. Glad I got back to Budapest yesterday. Wet here and very cool but that about it.
We are fine. The Hofbrau (Sisi) Museum was packed! It gets better each day, until it breaks for the better on Tuesday. I understand that Poland and the Czech Republic really have a lot of flooding.
The danger is now the snowfall melt in the Alps. Watch Inn valley and Passau flood levels.
We are supposed to take the train from Vienna to wurzburg tomorrow but our train just got canceled. The man at the desk just told me the only way to get out of Vienna is to fly. I guess were stuck here for the next few days. I just cancelled our reservations for wurzburg. I hope we can stay here until we can leave.
We found out our train to salzburg was cancelled when we got to the station in Vienna...our plan was to travel from salzburg to slovenia by car but when I check different map sites I see closures and warning....has anyone driven this route? Any advice would be appreciated
We urge all passengers to postpone non-essential journeys within this period [until Thursday 19 September 2024] to another time."
Source: ÖBB travel warning
Please follow this meaningful advice in general. Help the emergency services by not becoming an emergency case yourself.
In the current desaster situation I recommend seriously not to use a rental car in Niederösterreich region which is around Vienna and in Salzburg incl. German south-eastern Bavaria. The Austrian street situation map shows clearly that street traffic is heavily impacted. Avoid bringing yourself into any danger or problematic situation. The emergency forces are fully booked out. Life saving is first - with smaller issues you will be realistically on your own in the next 3-4 days.
The focus is currently on “rescuing people”, they are getting “emergency calls every minute”, for example to rescue people from vehicles.
Source: the official statement from the government of Niederösterreich state. Translation with DeepL recommended.
Translation of the statement-Part 1- Governor Mikl-Leitner and Deputy Governor Pernkopf on the current severe weather situation
Lower Austria declared a disaster area: "Everything is being done to protect the country and its people"
Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf, together with Provincial Fire Brigade Commander Dietmar Fahrafellner, informed about the current severe weather situation in Lower Austria this Sunday morning after the meeting of the provincial command staff in Tulln.
"We are experiencing difficult, dramatic hours in Lower Austria. For many Lower Austrians, these will probably be the most difficult hours of their lives," said Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner at the beginning of the press conference and continued: "Our country and our compatriots are immensely challenged on these days, at these hours. In recent days and hours, all emergency services, all municipalities and authorities have done everything under the most difficult circumstances to protect our compatriots." Unfortunately, one firefighter was killed. "We mourn him and our thoughts are with his family," said the Governor.
Currently, in view of the forecasts, one cannot give the all-clear: "Experts predict that there will be massive precipitation in the next few hours. Therefore, the state command staff, under the leadership of Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf, has decided to have the entire state territory declared a disaster area," the Governor informed. In addition, the fire brigade has requested support from emergency services and special equipment from Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria and Burgenland. Furthermore, the state has requested the assistance mission of the Austrian Armed Forces. In addition, the municipalities would independently trigger the civil defence alarm if necessary. "Please follow these orders at all costs," Mikl-Leitner appealed to the population.
"In these hours we not only experience the irrepressible power of nature, but we also experience the power of community, the power of togetherness. We all know that a country is as strong as it holds together. And it is precisely in this difficult situation that the Lower Austrian compatriots are proving this," said Governor Mikl-Leitner and underlined: "You can be sure: In this situation, all Lower Austrians stick together and everything is done to stand up to the water and protect the country and its people."
The Governor thanked all members of the volunteer fire brigades and the entire Lower Austria security family, as well as the mayors. She also addressed words of thanks to the road service and to all experts of the state service as well as the district governors. In addition, she thanked "all compatriots who help their neighbors and relatives. Above all, I would like to thank the state management staff, especially the head Stephan Pernkopf for this prudent crisis management."
She appealed to the citizens to take care of themselves and to follow the instructions of all emergency services. In addition, one should avoid journeys and journeys and keep oneself informed about the current situation via radio. In conclusion, she said: "We must be aware: Lower Austria is in an extremely dramatic situation, in an exceptional situation. But our country has always been strong in such situations and has always stuck together. This was shown by the floods in 2002 and 2013 and it will also be the case this year with the flood in 2024." In addition, students who cannot safely come to school should stay at home. "We will do everything we can to keep the schools open. Anyone who is in danger on the way to school should please stay at home. Safety is the most important thing."
Translation Part 2-
Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf spoke of an "unprecedented extreme situation, and hydrologists expect further extreme rainfall in the next few hours with up to 60 liters per square meter in the next few hours. This is already happening now and will continue to lead to massive flooding throughout the country." Therefore, "the decision was made today in the early hours of the morning to declare the entire state territory a disaster area," said Pernkopf. This gives the emergency services the best handle for their deployment and allows emergency forces from all over the country to be called in.
In the course of this morning, the storage capacity in the Ottenstein reservoir will also be reached, the LH deputy further informed. Decisions were therefore made yesterday to carry out evacuations. "The utmost caution" is required, Pernkopf warned, it is important to avoid unnecessary journeys and journeys in order not to endanger oneself and the emergency services. The deputy governor: "The next hours and days will continue to challenge us intensively."
Around 20,000 firefighters were on duty throughout the night, reported state fire brigade commander Dietmar Fahrafellner. The focus is currently on "rescuing people", one gets "emergency calls every minute", for example to rescue people from vehicles. So far, hundreds of houses have already been evacuated, he reported, and also asked for understanding "that we cannot pump out every basement immediately, we have 2,000 operations on the waiting list". In addition, emergency personnel from the neighboring federal states have also been brought in: "We guarantee that we will do our best."
I received this notice from Austrian Airlines this morning:
“Rebooking and refund options for affected passengers
Due to the current severe flooding situation throughout Austria and Central Europe, Austrian Airlines and the Lufthansa Group offers affected passengers with valid tickets to/from Vienna until and including 22 September 2024 additional rebooking and refund options for non-cancelled flights.
· One rebooking free of charge to any Lufthansa Group flight on original flight route up to and including 29 September 2024
· Full refund free of charge of the booked flight”
We are scheduled to fly on the 18th. Hopefully, it will go on as scheduled.
We are supposed to have a layover in Vienna tomorrow.
Some of you may be going to or coming from Budapest, so: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/budapest-floods
Feeling very fortunate to have departed Bavaria yesterday. Now in southern Italy, where I understand the rains will commence tomorrow.
Lots of good info here, thank you. We are booking flights to the region soon - is there any reason to believe things might not be back to normal by late November?
As for the rain and temperatures I suspect things will be back to normal in a few days. As for the flooding, I would be surprised if things remained disrupted by the end of the week. We have clear skies and warm weather predicted in a few days and Vienna is only a few miles up the road.
But we will see.
is there any reason to believe things might not be back to normal by late November?
I find the question unfortunate, as it seems to forget the local people affected.
From a traveler perspective maybe everything is back to normal - whatever that is.
From an individual pespective of some affcted people normality may need a new definition.
Without getting too political, weather extremes around the world have left us all vulnerable.
In a way, we were fortunate to experience the rising of the Danube (safely in our tour bus). We saw the volunteer fire fighters raise the floodwalls on the Danube and the Vienna river cover the walkways. When we saw the news later about villages in Poland and Romania under water it was all the more real.
Travel really does connect us.
I find the question unfortunate, as it seems to forget the local people affected. From a traveler perspective maybe everything is back to normal - whatever that is. From an individual pespective of some affcted people normality may need a new definition
I wonder why you think it appropriate to lecture others about what questions they should and shouldn't ask regarding future travel plans, which after all is why most of us are here.
If you personally, or those you care about, have been directly affected adversely by the storms, I'm sure we all wish you and them well. And we would like to know whether relief funds are necessary, and to whom our checks should be written.
is there any reason to believe things might not be back to normal by late November?
I find the question unfortunate, as it seems to forget the local people affected.
From a traveler perspective maybe everything is back to normal - whatever that is.
From an individual pespective of some affcted people normality may need a new definition.
I think the possibility for misunderstanding is strong. The question probably reflects whether things like trains and flights (or perhaps even weather patterns) will be , ”back to normal”. Since this is a travel forum, that seems to be an entirely logical question. I have to assume that the reason for the original post was to notify tourists of potential travel disruptions.
TTM: Ditto.........
to whom our checks should be written
What a cold comment imo. Checks cannot heal psychological consequences of such desasters.
Back to topic: from similar desasters European countries have the experience that there is no 100% back to normal - even not after first years. And for travelers it is also important that hotels, sights, restaurants, cafés etc. are affected and might be closed weeks and months after; and that also some local people can be traumatized by this desaster experience. I think these people need minimum the respect to be mentioned as well as potential guests need to be informed. And for some regions the desaster is not over yet.
My son, his wife, and my niece have been in Vienna as tourists the last few days. I am responding just from a tourist point of view although I have great compassion for those experiencing loss. They moved their sightseeing to indoor venues and have still been able to explore Vienna despite the weather. They have had significant museum and cafe time. My niece was due to fly back to Frankfurt (where she lives) Sunday , but that flight was cancelled. The airline paid for another hotel night and rescheduled her to a Monday flight which went as scheduled.
We can’t control weather when traveling. The best we can do is to remain flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.
What a cold comment imo. Checks cannot heal psychological consequences of such desasters.
All we can do from a distance, frankly, is provide material assistance - money - to help repair the damage. And when someone asks to whom the funds should go, you accuse them of being "cold."
You appear to be on a mission to be offended.
Living in an area of the UK which has repeatedly suffered horrendous flooding, my view is that even the tourists basic experience will be affected for a very long time.
Roads in some cases may take a very long time to re-open. Hotels will be closed for months to come.
After Storm Desmond on 5 December 2015 the A591 main road from Grasmere to Keswick took 6 months to rebuild when it was totally washed away, with diversions down the M6. It was initially re-opened on an emergency alignment. The village of Glenridding (Ullswater) was totally devastated on both 5 to 6 and 9 December 2015 with torrents of water literally sweeping through all the main hotels in the village, The hotels were closed for many, many months to be dried out and totally rebuilt. Hundreds of people were out of their homes were out for 12 to 18 months.
Before that we had 20 November 2009 when multiple bridges were washed away and Police Constable Bill Barker lost his life when he was trying to save others from a collapsing Northside Bridge. That took 3 years to rebuild.
Some people have been flooded out on multiple occasions.
We had serious issues in Cumbria (with each major flood) with voyeurism- in the immediate aftermath tourists coming in to view the damage.
In the immediate future the only answer in Central Europe is as far as possible to avoid the disaster areas, not to travel against local advice and to be extremely patient when travelling. Don't expect clear cut answers, go with the flow and just face the inevitable inconveniences.
Now is not the time for money, the areas are coping with disaster, on a scale which is hard to comprehend. Money will come to the fore in the medium term, and may well be on a town by town basis.
Here in Cumbria money is still being distributed 9 years on.
There is deep psychological trauma to come for many, who will have lost everything- many things which money can never replace.
Many in the Lake District now dread every heavy rain event when it happens. Some can not now get home insurance.
Like others I too have compassion for the locals who are experiencing terrible losses.
I too have questions about traveling to the area for our safety as well as not causing unneeded additional issues.
We are due to leave the US and land in Vienna and planned on taking a train from the airport to the city center and from there to catch our OBB train to Budapest. We have tix and seat reservations, but are not sure if that train will actually run and will our seat be guaranteed?
Also once we arrive in Budapest we are unsure what to expect there. Any info is much appreciated.
We are also ending our trip by coming to Vienna for 5 days before going home to the US so are unsure of what to expect there too in terms of tourism and site. Any info is valued. Thank you.
Sounds like midweek trains will be running again.
Do understand that Budapest did not get pounded by thie storm. We just have the river storm surge to deal with. The latest news today is that it will be lower than what happened in 2013 and so they are confident it will be managed. The only thing that I can think of that will be closed is the Shoes on the Danube memorial. I was out and around town today. Pretty much life as usual.
Sounds like the Budapest/Vienna trains will be running on Wednesday.
The sun is shining in Vienna today. Of course there are many areas with a long road ahead.
As for the matter of money, I think it’s always the time. Do your research to make sure it gets to the people and places that need it. I used to live in Charleston, South Carolina. The Atlantic coast there is frequently hit with hurricanes. (Storms are affecting them right now.) Hurricane Hugo in 1989 devastated the area. In fact, the organization I worked for began as a result of Hugo. Long term needs were revealed and we provided continued assistance for folks there. So, in the short and long term, money is always useful.
PS- the sound of a generator or chainsaw elicits dread in me still.
The storm is now moving into parts of Italy- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgmrnwgm7zo
