The Styrian State Warning Center has just sent a warning via “Cell Broadcast” (“AT-Alert”) to the population in the districts of Graz, Voitsberg, Graz-Umgebung, Weiz and Hartberg-Fürstenfeld.
Since the storm is expected to last until late in the evening with speeds of up to 100 km/h, people are warned not to stay in forests, parks or avenues. If there is a failure of the mobile network, the public is asked to contact the nearest fire station in the event of an emergency.
Styrian residents are urgently urged not to enter forest areas and not to stay near river banks. Please be careful and avoid non-essential routes. Rain, snow, the resulting softened ground and, in particular, the extremely strong winds pose a significant risk. Due to the high risk of avalanches, tours in the mountains are also strongly discouraged!
The heavy rainfall of the last few days has meant that the Muruferpromenade in Graz had to be closed until further notice as of 1 p.m. today.
- Avoid staying under/near trees, especially in parks, forests and in the area of the castle hill.
- Secure movable outdoor objects in a timely manner (such as party tents, trampolines or garden furniture)
- Monitor local weather developments.
- Plan for delays in road, rail and air traffic.
- Close windows, doors and garage doors as well as skylights and rooflights.
- Expect temporary power outages.
- Seek shelter outdoors in a timely manner.
AT-Alert already in use
The AT-Alert is based on the so-called “cell broadcast”: This allows messages to be sent without requesting or using personal data. The AT-Alert will complement the existing civil defense sirens as a warning and alarm system. In the event of an emergency, this should enable as many people as possible in an affected area to be reached directly via their mobile phone.
Messages can be triggered in the event of natural hazards such as storms or floods, threatening technical hazards such as chemical accidents, or threatening police situations. The highest warning level, the emergency alarm, is switched on by default on every cell phone and cannot be switched off. The highest security standards ensure that only the responsible authorities can send messages via AT-Alert.
Due to the system, citizens living near the border can also receive warnings from the neighboring federal state.
