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LIGHTNING

Lightning strikes set houses on fire in Bavaria and Saxony

Lightning strikes in Bavaria and Saxony overnight between Wednesday and Thursday sent several houses and buildings up in flames.

Published: 10 August 2017 14:16 CEST
Lightning strikes set houses on fire in Bavaria and Saxony
Lightning strikes in Saxony on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

In the eastern Saxon town of Lauta, lightning hit a house and set the roof truss on fire, according to police. The same happened in Thalmässing, Bavaria near Nuremberg.

Also nearby Passau, lightning struck a shed and barn at a farm on fire, causing both buildings to burn down.

No one was injured in any of the fires in Saxony and Bavaria. The damage in Bavaria alone totaled around €150,000.

The German Weather Service (DWD) predicts more stormy weather ahead this week as rain is set to fall across nearly every part of the country on Friday. The southern part of Germany in particular could see thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

Forecast for Friday:

The DWD also predicts Saturday to be somewhat rainy throughout the country, but Sunday is set to be sunny with high temperatures between 19C and 25C.

 

WEATHER

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Severe storms and heavy rain affected parts of Germany on Thursday, creating disruptions. More rain is forecast on Friday but weather warnings have been lifted.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Major storms hit western Germany on Thursday, causing travel disruption and flooding. 

In parts of Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded and rivers swelled. Bisingen, southwest of Tübingen, was particularly hard hit, with cellars and streets plunged under water.

Police said there was also traffic disruption. In Baden-Württemberg’s state capital Stuttgart, severe storms and lightning caused issues and some roads were closed.

A lightning strike in the Sigmaringen area resulted in a broken signal box on the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, no train journeys were possible in the region in the early evening with several delays and cancellations.

Other states were also affected.

There were around 300 relief operations in the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was hit by the 2021 deadly flood disaster.

Police said no-on was injured, although basements and streets were flooded. The water levels of the Ahr were being closely monitored.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Silas Stein

In Trier, too, streets were flooded after heavy rain and there were hailstorms. The Koblenz police headquarters reported fallen trees. Significant property damage due to full cellars and flooded streets was also reported in some areas. 

Heavy showers also fell in Hesse, accompanied by thunder storms. In Frankfurt, according to the fire department, the heavy rain caused water to enter the Bethanien Hospital and even reach the intensive care unit of the clinic.

“We were able to contain the damage relatively quickly and prevent it from spreading,” said fire department spokesman Thorben Schemmel, adding that no patients were affected.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel region was particularly affected, with reports of flooded streets after heavy rain and hailstorms.

North Rhine-Westphalia also saw storms late in the afternoon on Thursday. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expected some heavy rain and hail in parts of the country on Friday – particularly in the west – and at the weekend but warnings of severe weather have been lifted. 

The DWD said there could still be one or two strong thunderstorms in the northeast on Friday. However, it will be a significantly quieter day compared to Thursday. Temperatures of up to 25C can be expected.

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