VIENNA, Jan 27, 2008 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of homes were without power Sunday after a storm hit most of Austria, disrupting road and rail traffic, and leaving at least two people injured, authorities said. Up to 80,000 homes in southern Styria and another 15,000 in eastern Burgenland suffered power outages, along with thousands more in other provinces, the local power companies said. Rare winds of up to 100-150 kilometres per hour (62-93 miles per hour), according to the meteorological services, caused authorities in certain areas to issue storm alerts and warn people to stay indoors. Damage to power lines also caused disruptions on a major railway running south of Vienna, and Austrian Rail warned travellers to avoid unnecessary trips. Elsewhere, uprooted trees and fallen branches blocked roads. In southern Graz, two people were seriously injured after detached parts of a roof struck them in the head. They were immediately brought to hospital, the Austria Press Agency reported. Ski lifts in most of Upper Austria as well as parts of Salzburg and Tirol, in the west, remained closed due to the strong winds, operators said The storm was expected to let up in the evening, meteorologists said.
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