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WEATHER

Dozens injured and one dead from snow and ice

Spring snow showers and windy thunderstorms swept across much of Germany on Thursday, leaving one person dead and dozens injured in numerous traffic accidents. More snow is likey this week.

Published: 24 March 2009 15:30 CET
Dozens injured and one dead from snow and ice
Photo: DPA

Snow, sleet and hail created dangerous road conditions in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where a 39-year-old driver died and three others were injured in a head-on collision, police reported.

Meanwhile, the economy minister for the state of Thuringia, Jürgen Reinholz, suffered minor injuries in an auto accident after strong winds and snow blew his vehicle off the road near Nordhausen, his spokesperson said.

In the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, police reported more than a dozen serious injuries after more than 50 accidents.

Residents of Bavaria’s mountainous Allgäu region will even get to enjoy some late spring skiing after some resorts received up to 40 centimetres of new snow, the German Weather Service (DWD) said. But the heavy snow also stranded large trucks on icy roads and caused several minor accidents in the region.

The state of Saxony also struggled to keep up with accidents in the Erzgebirge mountains, police said.

Low pressure system Herbert – and the two lows expected to follow – won’t give spring a chance to warm the weather-weary country until Saturday at the earliest, the DWD reported.

More snow, sleet, and rain are on the way for the entire country, and nights could get cold enough for frost.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

WEATHER

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Severe storms and heavy rain affected parts of Germany on Thursday, creating disruptions. More rain is forecast on Friday but weather warnings have been lifted.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Major storms hit western Germany on Thursday, causing travel disruption and flooding. 

In parts of Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded and rivers swelled. Bisingen, southwest of Tübingen, was particularly hard hit, with cellars and streets plunged under water.

Police said there was also traffic disruption. In Baden-Württemberg’s state capital Stuttgart, severe storms and lightning caused issues and some roads were closed.

A lightning strike in the Sigmaringen area resulted in a broken signal box on the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, no train journeys were possible in the region in the early evening with several delays and cancellations.

Other states were also affected.

There were around 300 relief operations in the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was hit by the 2021 deadly flood disaster.

Police said no-on was injured, although basements and streets were flooded. The water levels of the Ahr were being closely monitored.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Silas Stein

In Trier, too, streets were flooded after heavy rain and there were hailstorms. The Koblenz police headquarters reported fallen trees. Significant property damage due to full cellars and flooded streets was also reported in some areas. 

Heavy showers also fell in Hesse, accompanied by thunder storms. In Frankfurt, according to the fire department, the heavy rain caused water to enter the Bethanien Hospital and even reach the intensive care unit of the clinic.

“We were able to contain the damage relatively quickly and prevent it from spreading,” said fire department spokesman Thorben Schemmel, adding that no patients were affected.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel region was particularly affected, with reports of flooded streets after heavy rain and hailstorms.

North Rhine-Westphalia also saw storms late in the afternoon on Thursday. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expected some heavy rain and hail in parts of the country on Friday – particularly in the west – and at the weekend but warnings of severe weather have been lifted. 

The DWD said there could still be one or two strong thunderstorms in the northeast on Friday. However, it will be a significantly quieter day compared to Thursday. Temperatures of up to 25C can be expected.

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