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LIGHTNING

Three dead as floods wreak havoc in southern Germany

At least three people have lost their lives as extreme weather, including flash floods, hail storms and lightning storms wreaked havoc in southern Germany on Sunday evening.

Three dead as floods wreak havoc in southern Germany
The aftermath in the town of Braunsbach. Photo: DPA

The states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria were struggling to cope with the results of destructive storms on Monday morning.

In Schwäbisch Gmünd in Baden-Württemberg a firefighter died on Sunday while trying to dig a stranded person out of trouble. The person he was trying to save is also likely dead, authorities said on Sunday evening.

In Heilbronn, meanwhile, police also confirmed that one person died after being trapped in an underground garage during flooding.

“We are using all the resources we have,” a police spokesperson in the town said of the flooding. “It’s not looking good here, it’s looking really bad.”

Videos uploaded to the internet show torrential rain and powerful flash floods dragging everything that wasn’t fixed to the ground with them.

The number of casualties has not yet been confirmed by the state interior ministry in Baden-Württemberg.

Police in the wealthy south-western state took thousands of emergency calls. In Ulm alone authorities recorded 490 emergency calls in a five-hour period.

In Biberach a landslide dragged trees and mud onto an industrial area.

The Autobahn between Giengen und Oberkochen had to been shut down after hail stones covered it to ankle height, with snow ploughs brought in to clear the asphalt.

In the town of Künzelsau the major talked of a “natural disaster” after several roads had to be closed down while debris was cleared away.

Particularly badly affected was the town of Braunsbach in the north of Baden-Württemberg. Local police spoke of wide-scale destruction after a river burst its banks.

Video footage from the town shows the terrifying strength of the flooding as it surged through the streets. Much of the area had to be evacuated but there were no deaths reported.

In Bavaria storms also caused massive damage.

In Ansbach whole streets were flooded and powerful water flows ripped cars along with them. Some houses north of the town were so badly damaged that they could now collapse. Emergency services are now working to prop up the structures.

There were no deaths reported in the town.

On Saturday 35 people, including ten children, were injured when lightning struck a sports pitch in the west of the country.

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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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