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WEATHER

Bad weather kills two on Autobahn, with hurricane-force winds predicted in north Germany

A series of crashes in western Germany were caused by a dramatic change in weather confusing drivers. In one of the pile ups, two people died.

Published: 13 September 2017 09:38 CEST
Bad weather kills two on Autobahn, with hurricane-force winds predicted in north Germany
The aftermath of the crash outside Münster on Tuesday. Photo: DPA

On the Autobahn 2 outside Münster police reported a series of crashes on Tuesday evening, as heavy rain was followed in quick succession by blinding sunlight.

Several cars braked heavily as torrential rain began to fall, “but then the sun suddenly came back out and the drivers couldn’t see anymore,” a police spokesperson said.

In the worst incident, which took place at 5.25pm, some 14 cars collided with one another, leaving two people dead and 14 injured, three of them seriously. Police also said that the pile up left debris strewn over a 100 metre area.

At almost exactly the same time another multi-vehicle crash took place two kilometres further down the road, involving 26 cars and two trucks. A total of 10 people were injured, three of them seriously.

Due to the large amount of wrecked cars left on the asphalt, police closed the motorway down completely for ten hours, reopening it at 4am on Wednesday.

The German Weather Service (DWD) has released a weather warning for almost the entire country on Wednesday, with the north-west set for a day of heavy rain and storms.

Hamburg and Schleswig Holstein will be battered by hurricane-like winds during the day. While in Schleswig-Holstein the winds will reach hurricane force. On mountain peaks across the country the wind will also be hurricane force.

Gales and heavy rain are set to spread east at a rapid pace on Wednesday morning, with Berlin also set to get a good soaking.

Only south east Bavaria is allowed to sip at the last dregs of summer, with sun and temperatures of 22 C predicted there for the morning.

WEATHER

Germany hit by storms and high winds

After a night of thunderstorms and high winds that knocked down trees and delayed trains, wind warnings are still in place in much of Germany on Tuesday. The coming days are expected to bring cool temperatures and scattered showers.

Published: 16 April 2024 10:20 CEST
Germany hit by storms and high winds

The German Weather Service (DWD) is maintaining wind warnings across much of Germany on Tuesday following severe wind and rain storms that started Monday night.

Wind speeds are most intense in the south. Around Munich, the DWD predicts wind speeds around 65 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour can be expected in exposed locations, along with showers.

In the middle of the country the weather is similar with slightly less intense winds predicted. In Düsseldorf, winds up to around 55 kilometres per hour are predicted.

In the northern regions, no serious weather warnings are in effect.

Showers are also expected across much of the southern, western and northern regions in Germany on Tuesday. In the middle and eastern regions, such as around Erfurt or Dresden, skies are partly cloudy.

In the Upper Harz region, snow fell on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Unusually cold weather is expected to continue there through the weekend.

Looking forward, scattered showers will continue on Wednesday, but the sun can be expected to peek through across much of the country. Northern and eastern cities like Berlin and Hamburg can expect a bit more sun tomorrow, whereas cities in the south can expect a bit more rain.

A mix of sun and scattered showers can be expected to extend through Friday and Saturday, with high temperatures around 12C each day and low temperatures between 2C and 5C at night.

House with wrecked roof

The flat roof of an apartment building in Hesse was damaged by severe winds on Monday night. PHOTO: picture alliance/dpa/5VISION.NEWS | 5VISION.NEWS

Severe storms left trail of destruction

Thunderstorms, strong winds and widespread storms on Monday evening left carnage across Germany. 

Some train passengers experienced delays of four hours on while a number of routes were closed.

On Tuesday morning there are only major delays between Nuremberg and Erfurt, a railway spokesman said.

Tees and branches knocked down by severe gusts of wind caused a series of injuries and traffic disruption.

In Hesse, a motorist and her passenger were injured in a collision with a tree that had fallen due to the storm.The accident occurred on Monday evening in the city of Alsfeld. Both occupants of the car were slightly injured, the 20-year-old was taken to a hospital.

In Bottrop (North Rhine-Westphalia), a 19-year-old pedestrian was injured on her way home from work after a tree suddenly fell onto the sidewalk. The young woman’s legs were trapped under the tree trunk, according to the fire department. In Hattingen in the Ruhr area, a man was injured by a tree falling into a garden.

In Cologne, a city bus was damaged by a fallen tree. The driver was slightly injured and taken to hospital, the fire department said in the evening. Several fallen trees and bent branches hindered traffic in the city.

In Bavaria, three people in a car suffered serious injuries in an accident on the A9.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Koblenz police headquarters reported 10 cars in its region that had been damaged by falling trees or other objects. Electricity and telephone lines were also damaged by falling trees. In Ludwigshafen in the Palatinate, trees fell on roads and power lines. Loose roof tiles and fallen construction fences also triggered fire brigade operations.

With reporting by DPA

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