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WEATHER

10 pictures that show just how freezing Germany is right now

Spring is supposed to begin tomorrow, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at your thermometer at the moment. These pictures perfectly illustrate the big freeze.

Published: 28 February 2018 10:08 CET
10 pictures that show just how freezing Germany is right now
Yachts at a marina in Allermöhe, Hamburg. All photos: DPA

The mercury dropped to -13C on the Baltic coast on Tuesday evening, just one of the more extreme recordings that told a story of frost across the country.

“There is barely a corner of the country which isn’t being frosted over during the evenings,” a German Weather Service (DWD) spokesman said on Wednesday. Even during the day, temperatures are not struggling above zero at the moment.

On Thursday the weather is supposed to let up somewhat with the west of the country defrosting first. But even by the weekend there is a risk of ice on the roads in the south and east of the country.

A boat breaks the ice on the Baltic coast in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Tuesday. 

A boy plays with his dog on a frozen lake in Rhineland Palatinate.

The cold weather has its uses, too. A brewer in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, uses it to create ice to keep the beer cool in his cellar through the summer.
 
The Spree river in Berlin was partly frozen over on Tuesday in the Treptow park area. 
 
Even the mighty Danube river started to ice over.
 
A view of the Bavarian Alps from the frozen Stafelsee in Murnau.
 
Snow covers an ancient burial mound in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
 
A mass pile-up on the Autobahn in Schleswig-Holstein on Tuesday showed just how treacherous icy roads can be.
 
Snow lies all the way down to the Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. (all pics: DPA)

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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