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WEATHER

WATCH: Tornado hits north Bavaria, damaging dozens of houses

A tornado hit the small town of Kürnach in northern Bavaria late on Thursday afternoon, damaging the roofs of dozens of houses.

WATCH: Tornado hits north Bavaria, damaging dozens of houses
The tornado could be seen over the roofs of Kürnach. Photo: DPA

The police said that 20 to 30 roofs had tiles blown off, two trees were blown over and one garden shed had been blown down.

The area affected was one kilometre in length and 100 metres wide on the outskirts of Kürnach, a town of around 5,000 people near Würzburg.

No-one was injured during the storm.

The damage level has not yet been officially quantified, but local authorities hope to assess this Friday during daylight hours.

 
According to Michael Reitzenstein, a district councillor, about 80 houses suffered damage. He also said that the damage ranged from one roof tile being lost to half a roof being blown away.

The German Weather Service (DWD) described the stormy conditions as a small tornado, with one of their experts adding that tornadoes are not unusual for this time of year.

Tornado damage in Kürnach. Photo: DPA

“It was not unexpected, but not very likely,” the DWD expert explained, adding that the right weather conditions were there amid a thunderstorm.

Temporary warnings were also in place for other regions as the storm moved through lower Franconia, north Bavaria.

There are currently low weather warnings in place from the DWD for the entirety of southern and central Germany.

The weathermen say that skies will be mostly overcast in the north over the weekend, but that it will be sunnier in the south of the country, where temperatures could rise to as high as 17C.

Strong winds are expected along the coast lines in the north and in the Alpine region.

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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