Torrential rain struck the two countries overnight, causing severe floods and mudslides. The severe weather cut off several villages, sparked evacuations and closed major roads and rail lines.Three people were killed after a month's worth of rain in 24 hours caused floods and landslides in northeastern and central Slovenia and southern Austria, authorities said Friday.

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Sirens alerting citizens against flooding were sounded in the capital Ljubljana, along with Maribor and Celje, after the country's environment agency issued the highest "red alert" warning due to heavy rainfall that started overnight.

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The bodies of two foreign tourists were in a mountain area and a woman was found in another flooded area, police spokeswoman Maja Adlesic told AFP news agency.

No injuries were reported in Austria.

Highways, rail lines shuttered

In Slovenia, the highway connecting the capital Ljubljana with the country's north had to be closed along with some railway lines, due to flooding as rivers overflowed, destroying bridges and several houses, the news website N1 Info said.

Some 16,000 households suffered power cuts and several villages were reported to be inaccessible.

"The situation is serious," Defence Minister Marjan Sarec told local media, adding that the army had joined rescue and fire teams to help residents in the most affected areas.

"Some areas are completely cut off and communication is also difficult," the country's civil protection chief Srecko Sestan said.

The official STA news agency reported evacuations in several parts of the country, including campsites.

Authorities in the scenic central town of Kamnik urged people to stay in their homes and closed kindergartens for the day.

Regional civil protection commander Klemen Smid said the "entire [northwestern] Gorenjska [region] is underwater."

Rescuers struggled to reach flooded areas and issued a public call for dinghies in places where roads were impassable due to landslides.

More than 100 buildings including a sports hall were flooded around the central town of Skofja Loka where roads were blocked and landslides threatened to cause further damage, STA said.

Helicopters evacuated people trapped in their homes in Skofja Loka, where vehicles and trucks were submerged or carried away by torrents, local media reported.

The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief recorded more than 1,000 weather-related incidents within 12 hours across the country, the news agency reported.

Austrian residents told to stay home

In Austria, roads to some villages in the southern state of Carinthia were disrupted, local authorities said.

The district of Völkermarkt, near the border of Slovenia, was particularly badly affected.

Authorities urged people not to drive unless the trips were essential.

In St. Paul in the Lavanttal Valley of Carinthia, residents were advised to stay on upper floors and avoid basements and bridges.

Fire brigades were called in to pump water and clear fallen trees, caused by flooding.

According to utility company Energie Steiermark, around 4,000 households were without electricity on Friday morning.

Numerous border crossings between Austria and Slovenia are closed, including the Loibl Pass, with traffic being diverted through the Karawanks motorway tunnel, according to the Austrian Automobile Club ÖAMTC.

Croatia and Bosnia could be next

Forecasters say the heavy rains will last for the next 24 hours at least and are expected to spread to neighboring Croatia and Bosnia further to the south.

Slovenia was hit by several severe storms earlier in the summer that blew off roofs, downed thousands of trees and killed one person in Slovenia and four others elsewhere in the region.

Experts say extreme weather conditions are partly fueled by climate change.

Parts of Europe saw record heat and battled wildfires during the summer.

mm/wd (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 04, 2023 10:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).