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Coldest night of year has Germans shivering, from Hamburg to Bavaria

The weathermen told us that it was going to be a cold night on Sunday. And sure enough, temperatures hit a low for the winter, from the Alps all the way up to the Baltic coast.

Published: 26 February 2018 11:00 CET

Coldest night of year has Germans shivering, from Hamburg to Bavaria

The Bismark memorial in Hamburg on Monday. Photo: DPA

The weather station at the summit of Zugspitze, at 2,962 metres Germany's tallest mountain, recorded a low of -27C on Sunday night, making it the chilliest night of the winter so far. February is the coldest month of the year of the snowy Alpine peak, with an average temperature of -11.4C.

Things weren't much warmer down in the flat lands, with temperatures ranging between -10C and -15C in much of the south and the east of the country.

SEE ALSO: Cold snap – lows of -20C set to hit Germany starting at weekend

In the northeast of the country, where temperatures were slightly higher, snow fell thick and fast. Residents of some districts of the capital Berlin woke up to find a dusting of snow covering the rooftops, while Hamburg also got a coating of white powder.

The German Weather Service (DWD) has forecast the cold snap to last until Tuesday evening.

The Feldberg in Baden-Württemberg on Sunday. Photo: DPA

A snow plough at work in Lübeck. Photo: DPA

A snowy panorama in Hamburg. Photo: DPA

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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