Thunderstorm chaos in Vorarlberg: 74 fire brigade missions and stuck cable car ride!

Thunderstorm chaos in Vorarlberg: 74 fire brigade missions and stuck cable car ride!

Dornbirn, Österreich - A thunderstorm front caused considerable damage in Vorarlberg on June 23, 2025. According to 5min.at , 74 fire brigade operations were reported within a single hour. The operations were caused by torn trees, bricks torn by roofs and disorders in the overhead line of trains. These weather conditions led to restrictions on train traffic in the region.

The situation in Dornbirn was particularly dramatic, where 19 passengers in the cart cable car were stuck because a rope had been pressed out of the lead. However, the emergency services were able to confirm that passengers are safe. The thunderstorms were also noticeable in other Austrian regions, including in the Innviertel and in Carinthia, where several centimeters tall hailcorn were registered.

weather extreme in Austria

The current weather event is part of a larger pattern. As the climate status report of the climate and energy fund shows, 2023 was the warmest year in measuring history, both in Austria and worldwide. Austria not only experienced frequent rainfall and high rainfall, but also long heat phases. These conditions led to enormous damage that underlines the increasing risk through weather extremes.

Minister of Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler emphasizes the urgency to take measures to adapt to climate change. The report shows that the danger potential for the population is increasing, since frequent emergencies and evacuations have become necessary. In May, June and July there were numerous thunderstorms with heavy rain, gusts of wind and hail.

Significant damage balance

In August, 66 out of 132 municipalities had to be evacuated in Carinthia, while in Styria 280 landslides were recorded due to days of rainfall. A total of around 1,000 fire departments with around 16,000 emergency services were deployed over 6,000 times, which led to total damage of over 100 million euros. The months and October 2023 also represented the warmest autumn months in measurement history, which reinforced the trend reversal in the climate.

The climate status report, which is created annually by Climate Change Center Austria (CCCA) in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Hall (Boku) and Geosphere Austria, illustrates the urgently needed discussion about climate protection. The events of recent years have shown that unpredictable weather extremes can also be expected in the future, which increases the need for action for politics and society.