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WEATHER

Accidents and delays rise as weather worsens

The number of road accidents rose into the thousands overnight Tuesday, as snow and ice continued to cause traffic chaos in Germany, particularly in the south and southwest of the country.

Accidents and delays rise as weather worsens
Photo: DPA

The large state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone counted 1,784 weather-related accidents, police said, causing at least one death, 20 serious injuries and 87 milder injuries. The cost of the damage stood at €3.8 million.

In Lower Bavaria there had been 56 accidents since midday Monday with at least 12 injuries and a €250,000 in damage.

Road crews were working feverishly through the night across much of the south and southwest to clear and grit at least the main streets. Many smaller roads remained covered in ice and, in parts, snow.

Click here for photos of the winter weather chaos.

In Lower Franconia, a truck loaded with pigs overturned on the A7 motorway near Estenfeld. The driver was seriously injured and the autobahn closed for hours.

More than 200 passengers had to be rescued from a high-speed ICE train after it became stuck in Bavaria’s Kronach county when a felled tree damaged power lines. They were forced to spend the night in a gymnasium in the care of the Red Cross.

Northern parts of the Rhineland-Palatinate also suffered from accidents caused by prolonged snowfalls. By 3 am Tuesday, there had been 81 weather-related accidents, including seven injuries and damage of €270,000.

The German Weather Service (DWD), meanwhile, is warning of ongoing snow falls, ice, wind and snowdrifts. Central mountain areas and the coasts are likely to be hardest hit, the DWD said.

Daily Bild reported that a 48-year-old woman was killed when her car collided on a snow-covered road with a truck near Taunusstein in Bavaria.

Munich and Frankfurt airports cancelled hundreds of flights on Monday and at least 300 people were forced to spend the night in the terminal in Frankfurt. More delays and cancellations were expected throughout the day on Tuesday.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

DAPD/The Local/dw

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WEATHER

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

The moment many people around Germany have been waiting for is almost here: as of Thursday, temperatures are expected to crack the 20C mark and stay warm through the start of spring.

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

Whether it’s the pink cherry blossom trees which have started to bloom, lighter evenings or people walking around with ice cream cones, the signs of springs have already started to show around Germany in March.

Now the weather is also catching up: following rain storms on Wednesday, the mercury is expected to reach at least 20C in many parts of the Bundesrepublik on Thursday. 

READ ALSO: Seven signs that Spring has arrived in Germany

First there’s some damper news: On Wednesday, Germany – in particular the southwest – is expected to be hit by the storms. In the Black Forest, 30 to 40 litres per square metre will fall by midday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the Alps, light snowfall will set in above 1,000 to 1,200 metres, with fresh snowfall of around five centimetres expected. 

The rain will ease by the following morning, but it will remain cloudy.

Up to 21C on Thursday

On Thursday, after the morning the fog disappears, people can look forward to a sunny and dry day – especially in the south and western parts of Germany. 

Temperatures will rise to a pleasant 14 to 21C degrees, with the highest values on the Upper Rhine. 

In mountainous areas and by the sea, it will remain somewhat cooler at 10C to 14C. 

Friday will be characterised by changeable weather: there will be sunny spells as well as rain showers, which will spread from the west and may be heavy in places – including thunderstorms. 

Temperatures will be between 14C and 18C degrees, and in the Lausitz region in eastern Germany it could even reach a warm 20 degrees.

Warmer weeks

While this Sunday could still see some single digit temperatures in northern parts of Germany – such as 9C in Berlin and Hamburg – the coming week is set to experience continually warmer weather, remaining at 14C and higher. 

The first day of spring officially begins this year with the Spring Equinox on March 19th. The days will become even lighter in Germany after Daylight Savings Time, which this year takes place in the early hours of Easter Sunday, or March 31st.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in March 2024

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