Severe weather hits three Austrian states, one dead

Severe weather of rain and snowfall paralyses three Austrian states, with one man reported dead in a mudslide.

Parts of the Austrian states of Carinthia, East Tyrol and Salzburg have been in a state of emergency since Friday night due to severe snow and rainfall, Efe news reported.

A 79-year-old man was dead after a mudslide hit him in the Carinthian ski resort of Bad Kleinkirchheim, while he was outside to check his water well, according to the Austrian Press Agency (APA).

This is the first death reported after a sudden outbreak of extreme bad weather over the last few days.

People living on mountain inclines in the famous ski resorts Zell am See and Bad Hofgastein were ordered to stay in the upper levels of their homes facing the valley.

Mobile barriers and bags had been built up to fend off the impending floods and landslides in the affected areas of Carinthia, where the Austrian electrical power and gas utilities provider "Verbund" lowered the water level in the local reservoir to 4.5 meters below its normal level to accumulate the incoming floodwater, according to "Verbund" spokesman Robert Zechner.

The situation is expected to remain critical, with more snow and rain predicted for Tuesday due to a bad weather front heading to Austria from northern Italy, according to the local broadcaster ORF.