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WEATHER

Lower Bavaria district declares flood ‘disaster’

A district in Lower Bavaria has declared a natural disaster affecting three towns after heavy rain caused serious flooding, German media reported on Wednesday.

Lower Bavaria district declares flood 'disaster'
A man looks at a submerged car in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, on Tuesday May 30th. Photo: DPA

“The situation has got dramatically worse in the last few hours. The whole centre of town has been flooded by the [river] Altbach,” Walter Czech, mayor of Triftern bei Pfarrkirchen in the Rottal district, told DPA.

Neighbouring Anzenkirchen was also badly affected by floods.

Triftern, a town of just over 5,000 people 35km south-west of Passau on the Austrian border, was not the only place to be struck by severe flooding.

Leipzig, Saxony's largest city, has also seen high waters block the entrance to the emergency room at the Elisabeth Hospital.

Train traffic between Saxon capital Dresden and the Czech Republic was briefly halted after a mudslide.

And firefighters in Bremen and Hanover were kept busy pumping out flooded cellars overnight as heavy rain swept into low-lying parts of the cities – including the Bremen fire service's own underground gym.

The German Weather Service (DWD) currently has serious weather and storm warnings in place across eastern Bavaria and in a swathe running from the northeast coast, over Hannover and all the way into North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse.

Large parts of Saxony and Thuringia are also covered by the alerts.

A DWD graphic showing severe weather warnings across Germany. Click for an interactive version. Image: DWD

Schoolkids can't get home

In Bavarian town of Triftern, around 250 schoolchildren cut off from their homes by the water face a night sleeping in the gym.

“Luckily the school building is on a hill,” mayor Czech said.

So far no-one has been hurt in Triftern, he went on, and emergency responders including firefighters and river rescue were on the scene.

A second group of 20 children were stranded on an island during a school boat trip, with one girl being treated for shock and another for hypothermia.

“Everyone who's available”, including firefighters and volunteer aid workers, has been sent to the flood area, police said.

Two helicopters are also being sent to rescue people who have been marooned in their houses in the Triftern area.

Eyewitnesses told broadcaster Bayerische Rundfunk that bridges and roads had been completely swamped and rivers had broken their banks.

In Passau river gauges stood at high levels on Wednesday afternoon, with the Danube exceeding its first warning level and the Inn just 40 centimetres below its own.

Some streets had to be closed in the city on the Bavarian-Austrian border for fear of flooding.

Baden-Württemberg picks up pieces

News of the flooding in Bavaria comes just as neighbouring Baden-Württemberg is getting to grips with the damage caused by heavy rain and storms on Sunday evening.

In Braunsbach divers were searching underwater for the bodies of people who might have been trapped in their cars by sudden violent floods.

State minister-president Winfried Kretschmann is also expected in the town today to inspect the damage.

Four people have been reported dead in floods since Monday.

Other parts of Germany, including North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia, also suffered flooding on Monday and Tuesday.

 

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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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