By midday, Austria’s disaster-response centers had issued warnings for severe storms on Thursday afternoon and evening in various regions—and for all of Styria. In some areas, the weather was less intense than feared. In Graz’s central region, heavy rain, gusty winds, and occasional hail marked the early-evening skyline along the Mur River.

Organizers even postponed an afternoon protest against social‐welfare cuts in Graz just before it was to start, as the downpour and wind began.

Festival and Fair Disruptions

In Upper Austria’s Innviertel, the “Woodstock der Blasmusik” festival site at Ort im Innkreis was evacuated Thursday midday under storm warnings. Attendees on site took refuge in cars; incoming visitors were redirected to Messe Ried parking. Organizers expect the four‐day event (100,000 attendees) to resume as planned Friday.

In Lower Austria, storm alerts led to the cancellation of Wieselburg Volksfest Day in Scheibbs, scrapping speeches by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and state party chief Udo Landbauer. In Tulln, cabaret artist Gery Seidl’s Donau‐stage show was postponed to July 24 due to forecast storms.

Damage in Tyrol and Vorarlberg

Tyrol saw hail and thunderstorms afternoon, especially in Schwaz and Kitzbühel districts, with some 100 fire‐service calls. Lightning may have sparked forest fires, though no major damage or injuries were reported by evening. In Fügen (Zillertal), some water damage occurred. On Pillberg (Schwaz), a felled tree landed on a car—its driver escaped unharmed—while another tree dented a house roof.

A thunderfront also swept Vorarlberg, bringing heavy rain and localized hail, but causing only one fire‐service deployment by 5:30 pm, per rescue dispatchers.