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WEATHER

Fierce storms batter northern Germany

Terrific thunderstorms late on Monday left emergency services overstretched in parts of Germany, as phone calls flooded fire departments. Hamburg was especially hard hit.

Fierce storms batter northern Germany
Photo: DPA

A powerful storm front hit the northern port city about 5 pm, dumping 50 litres of rain per square metre, including hail stones. Thunder and lighting tore across the sky.

Streets and building basements were flooded and Hamburg U-Bahn entrances inundated.

One man was hospitalised after lighting struck close to where he was sitting in his office, daily Bild reported.

“He was sitting in his office on the seventh floor and a window was damaged by an electro-magnetic impulse,” a Hamburg fire department spokesman said.

More than 1,000 emergency services workers were deployed. The Hamburg fire department was called out 1,500 times in three hours. Normally they would be called out 630 times in a whole day.

“The whole city is affected. We are having a state of emergency,” the fire spokesman told Bild.

Click here to see pictures of the nasty weather

Parts of Hamburg’s main train station had to be closed as commuters waded through knee-deep water. Firemen were called out to the City Hall, the Interior Ministry and the US Consulate.

“There was water in basements all over the place,” the spokesman said.

The state opera house was also affected. Planes at Hamburg airport had to be grounded for about 30 minutes until the worst of the storm passed. Some S-Bahn train stations were closed for hours.

In Berlin, the fire department received about 80 call-outs in two hours, with the Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg districts especially hard hit by the torrential rain. Rain, hail and fierce squalls forced eight flights to divert from Tegel Airport in the northwest of the city to Schönefeld in the southeast.

The south of the country did not escape the brutal weather, with heavy rain and hail pounding parts of Bavaria in the districts of Kelheim, Landshut and Rottal-Inn.

Lightning caused several fires in the northeast of Germany. A 65-year-old woman in Neubrandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania died after being hit by lightning.

And a herd of 30 deer were killed in a nature park in the northwestern state of North Rhine-Westphalia after a lightning bolt struck.

“They were completely roasted and had blue phosphor eyes,” said Albert Stobbe, the owner of the park in Mechernich. “Most of the animals were dead on the spot.”

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast

The Local/DPA/djw

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BERLIN

Disruption on roads in Berlin as farmers stage fresh protest

Farmers in Germany launched fresh protests in Berlin on Friday to call for the government to support agriculture, resulting in disruption across the city.

Disruption on roads in Berlin as farmers stage fresh protest

Berlin police said there were “considerable traffic disruptions” across the city and the outskirts and especially around Straße des 17. Juni, the government district and the Bundesrat .

Since Thursday morning, Straße des 17. Juni and other streets around the government district in Berlin-Tiergarten have been closed. There will also be closures on Leipziger Straße between Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Platz through Friday.

A planned rally is due to take place from 12 noon to 5pm on Friday with tractors and lorries around Platz des 18. März, near Brandenburg Gate. 

The action is being held to protest the government’s agricultural policies.

It comes as relief measures – including reduced bureaucracy and tax relief for farmers – went to the Bundesrat on Friday to be voted on as part of the Growth Opportunities Act.

However, farmers are still pushing for their original demand of fully keeping the agricultural diesel subsidy.

READ ALSO: Analysis: Why are German farmers so angry?

Farmers in Germany have been staging similar protests against the policies of the government since the start of the year.

Where are protests taking place?

Here’s a look at the routes farmers are expected to take in Friday into Berlin where disruption will occur:

Frohnau: From the state border via B96 Berliner Straße, Roedernallee, Lindauer Allee, Residenzstraße, Markstraße, Schulstraße, Luxemburger Straße, Föhrer Straße, An der Putlitzbrücke, Stromstraße, Lessingstraße, Altonaer Straße and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Lichtenrade: From the state border via the B96 Kirchhainer Damm to Tempelhofer Damm and then via Mehringdamm, Hallesches Ufer, Reichpietschufer, Klingelhöferstraße, Hofjägerallee and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Mahlsdorf: From the state border via the B1/5 to Alexanderstraße and then via Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Unter den Linden, Wilhelmstraße, Dorotheenstraße, Scheidemannstraße, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee, Spreeweg and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Staaken: From the state border via B5 Heerstraße to Theodor-Heuss-Platz, Kaiserdamm, Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Straße des 17. Juni and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni.

As we’ve already. mentioned, there will also be road closures on Leipziger Straße between Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Platz.

Farmers at the Straße des 17. Juni early morning on Friday in Berlin in a demo for better agricultural policy.

Farmers at the Straße des 17. Juni early morning on Friday in Berlin in a demo for better agricultural policy. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jörg Carstensen

A large police presence was in place around the federal ministries and parliamentary buildings.

“We are taking preparatory measures before the farmers’ rally so that parliamentary work can take place smoothly on Friday,” said a spokesperson for the Berlin police on Thursday. 

During previous demonstrations, tactics – such as throwing manure and blockade attempts – have been controversial. 

On one occasion in January more than a hundred farmers blocked a ferry port as Economics Minister Robert Habeck tried to return from a holiday with his wife on the North Friesian island of Hooge.

According to media reports, some of the protestors tried to storm the ferry that the Habeck and his wife were on, preventing the Green Party politician from disembarking and forcing police to intervene. 

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