While parts of Austria have been inundated in huge amounts of rain and severe flooding, there has been some more welcomed wintry weather elsewhere.

Winter sports enthusiasts have managed to enjoy early season snowfall in the ski resort of Hockheil, Hochkönig.

On Sunday 15th September the small ski resort even opened the Arthurhaus ski lift at an altitude of only 1500 metres. Over 80 centimetres of fresh snow had fallen, with metre-high snow drifts.

Due to the amount of snow that fell, the slopes were groomed and lifts were put into action for the first time in the month of September.

April 2024 was the last time the lifts were in action, so the summer break only officially lasted five months and eight days.

Back in 2009, the Arthurhauslift was also one of the first to start the season, however this was still much later, on October 18th.