Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WEATHER

Dozens hurt in accidents as winter returns

Slush and ice caused accidents that injured dozens of people across Germany on Wednesday, authorities reported. Meanwhile more snow is expected to accompany a cold front from the west, the German Weather Service (DWD).

Published: 26 January 2011 11:03 CET
Dozens hurt in accidents as winter returns
An accident in northern Hesse on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

In the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, a bakery delivery truck spun out of control and hit a snowplough head-on, severely injuring the driver.

A 71-year-old pedestrian in the neighbouring state of Bavaria was hit by a sliding van in Hof, suffering life-threatening head injuries. Police said the driver of the vehicle was unable to stop in time due to treacherous road conditions.

Meanwhile on the A71 motorway in Bavaria, police reported six auto accidents involving a total of 20 vehicles along a stretch of road just a few hundred metres long. Twelve people were injured, with five hospitalized, among them a five-year-old child.

Winter weather also caused an accident between a train and a tractor trailer truck in Bavaria’s Upper Palatinate region. The collision injured the train driver and one of his 30 passengers, along with the truck driver.

In the central German state of Saxony, police reported an accident along the A72 where a car rolled after hitting another vehicle, then landed on another. The 24-year-old driver sustained severe injuries, they said.

In Hesse, a 35-year-old driver was also severely injured when he lost control of his car and landed in a ditch, hitting a drain pipe.

Police estimated that accidents had caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage by mid-morning.

A cold front blowing over Germany from Ireland is expected to bring chilly temperatures and snow to southern and eastern Germany in the coming days. Areas above between 200 and 400 metres in altitude should expect “light to moderate” accumulation and slippery road conditions, DWD meteorologist Thomas Ruppert said.

High temperatures for Wednesday will range between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius, with scattered snow showers set to continue overnight as temperatures drop to between -2 and -9 degrees.

Eastern Germany and southern mid-range mountains will see more snow on Thursday, which will be slightly colder at between -2 and 2 degrees.

Snowflakes are likely to fall again on Friday when chilly temperatures will prevail, dropping as low as -15 overnight.

But by Saturday conditions are likely to improve, Ruppert said, with just a few snowflakes and partly cloudy conditions.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

DPA/The Local/ka

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

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.

SHOW COMMENTS