SHARE
COPY LINK

WEATHER

Storm front expected to sweep across the nation

As towns in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) region of Saxony cleared up on Wednesday after a tornado ripped off roofs and pushed over trees, weather forecasters warned of wild weather in other parts of the country for the evening.

Storm front expected to sweep across the nation
Clearing up after a twister in Seiffen. Photo: DPA

Two women were injured after being hit by flying glass after part of a roof smashed a nearby window in Seiffen, near Dresden, as the twister blew through the town, leaving several trees knocked over, and estimated costs of around €60,000.

“We were lucky in our misfortune and can be happy that it wasn’t worse,” said Heinz Seidler, mayor of Seiffen on Wednesday.

A further estimated €30,000 worth of damage was caused in nearby Blumenau where houses, fences and cars were damaged while two uprooted trees brought down power lines, cutting nearly 30 houses off from the grid.

Meteorologists from the German Weather Service (DWD) did not notice the tornado on Tuesday night, as their monitoring equipment was not sensitive enough to pick up such a localised event.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

However, the DWD did warn that further storms, strong winds and heavy rain as well as even some hail in a few areas should be expected across the country on Wednesday.

Stormy and rainy weather will pull eastwards during Wednesday evening with temperatures in the west and north between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius, and up to 30 degrees in the southeast.

Rainfall in the south will withdraw to areas south of the Danube, while clouds elsewhere will break up, leading to some fog in areas as the air cools down as far as nine degrees.

Thursday will see continued rain south of the Danube, whereas the rest of the country will get showers and some storms, with temperatures reaching a high of 24 degrees, but largely below that level. Further showers should be expected in the north on Thursday evening.

Friday will be changeable with some thick cloud delivering repeated showers and some short storms. Top temperatures will only reach between 15 and 20 degrees, with just 10 to 15 degrees in mountainous areas.

Saturday will start cloudy with some showers, clearing up towards the evening, with top temperatures of the day reaching around 22 degrees.

The Local/hc

Member comments

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

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. 

SHOW COMMENTS