Snow chaos closes major Austrian roads

Snow fell throughout Austria overnight causing disruptions on major roads and knocking out power to thousands of people.

Rescue teams were still working to restore power and rescue people stranded on the roads.

The worst hit areas were primarily in eastern and southern Austria. A major road leading west from Vienna was blocked for three hours after several trucks either crashed or became stranded.

Traffic disruption resulted in part because hundreds of trucks and cars were still equipped with summer tyres, the national automobile association said.

In the region surrounding the southern city of Graz, thousands were without power after snow brought down trees and power lines. Power was also knocked out in parts of the capital Vienna.

Meteorologists said that it was the earliest snowfall in Vienna in 60 years.

In the low-lying area surrounding Vienna, snow usually falls for the first time in late November. The mountainous areas in the Alps, however, see snow much earlier.

More snow and frost was expected for the coming days.