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STORM

Storms with gusts upwards of 100km/hour strike Germany

After "Eberhard" struck large parts of Germany over the weekend, a new storm dubbed "Franz" is causing more weather woes and travel chaos.

Published: 13 March 2019 15:53 CET
Storms with gusts upwards of 100km/hour strike Germany
Stormy weather came to Brocken in the Herz mountains on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

In the coming days, the weather is likely to stay stormy despite the recovery phases, according to the German Weather Service (DWD) on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: IN PICTURES: High winds, torrential rain and snow hit Germany

The new storm will spread around Germany, causing showers, thunderstorms, and hail.

As a precaution, Germany's main rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) warned that there could be delays in North Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.

DB asked travellers to inform themselves in advance about the connections on its website.

According to the DWD, gusts of wind of up to 85 kilometres per hour came to NRW on Wednesday, with heavy gusts of up to 100 km per hour in the mountains. In addition, thunderstorms are expected in many places.

“We expect heavy showers,” said a meteorologist. “But it is weaker than what we had on Sunday. The storm should calm down by the evening.”

SEE ALSO: Travel chaos as deadly storm strikes Germany 

Parts of northeast Germany were met with fierce winds of up to 100 km per hour on Wednesday, as well as a rain and sleet. Brocken in the Herz Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt had winds of 117 km/hour as well as temperatures as low as -4 degrees.

The following graph in a tweet from DWD shows the wind speed in kilometres throughout the country.

Calming down as the week goes on

On Thursday, forecasters predict milder temperatures — with lots of clouds, widespread rain, and the snow starting at 600 metres above sea level.

During the day the snowfall line will rise up to 1000 meters. Within the low mountain ranges, particularly in the Black Forest and Allgäu, it will rain long and persistently. The wind is stormy, in the peaks also hurricane-like.

On Friday it will remain mostly cloudy, with only some slight sun in the east of the country. In the course of the day new rain comes from the west.

A Eurowings flight struggles to land in Hanover on Wednesday due to strong winds. Photo: DPA

Day temperatures are between 7C and 13C degrees. Due to subtropical warm air, it will become warmer over the weekend.

On the Upper Rhine, temperatures of up to 20 degrees may even be reached locally.

However, a cold front on Sunday will ensure that the mercury at the beginning of next week stays in the single digits.

But the strong western current is likely to weaken from Tuesday onwards, “It's possible that the weather will calm down,” meteorologist Sebastian Schappert said on Wednesday.

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WEATHER

Germany braces for more severe storms and heavy rain

Storms have been sweeping across Germany since Friday. Residents in the south-west were hit first, but other regions can expect thunderstorms and severe rain from Tuesday.

Published: 21 May 2024 10:28 CEST
Germany braces for more severe storms and heavy rain

Parts of Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Saarland should be prepared for thunderstorms and heavy rain.

“On Tuesday, another low-pressure zone will form over Germany, increasing the risk of severe weather,” said the German Weather Service (DWD).

Over the Whitsun weekend, a series of storms hit Germany. Residents in Saarland and south-west Rhineland-Palatinate in particular battled against flooding.

A deluge of rain caused landslides as well as flooded roads and cellars in these two regions. Rail services also came to a temporary standstill, but resumed on Saturday.

According to Saarland state premier Anke Rehlinger (SPD), emergency services were called out on 4,000 rescue operations. However, tragedy struck when a 67-year-old woman died after being hit by an emergency vehicle. Authorities said no one else was seriously injured.

READ ALSO: Floods easing in Germany’s Saarland but situation remains serious

From the Eifel via central Hesse to Bavaria

From Tuesday, stormy weather will affect other regions in Germany.

“This time, the focus will probably not be in Saarland and southern Rhineland-Palatinate, but a little further north, in the area from the Eifel region to central Hesse and south-east Bavaria,” said meteorologist Nico Bauer from the DWD.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and Saarland State premier Anke Rehlinger (R) wades through water as they visit flood stricken town of Kleinblittersdorf.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and Saarland State premier Anke Rehlinger (R) wades through water as they visit flood stricken town of Kleinblittersdorf. Photo: Iris Maria Maurer / AFP

From the early afternoon, thunderstorms, some of them heavy, are expected in a strip from south-east and eastern Bavaria via Hesse to northern Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Heavy rainfall of up to 25 litres per square metre is forecast to hit these areas. Locally, up to 40 litres per square metre is possible. Hailstones and high winds are also expected. According to the DWD, heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely to move to the north-east of Germany during the night to Wednesday.

Isolated storms have also affected other regions in Germany. Four people are fighting for their lives and a further six are seriously injured following a lightning strike on the banks of the Elbe in Dresden on Monday evening. 

Damage ‘in the millions’ 

While the current crisis is not yet over, the areas affected by heavy flooding are already beginning to come to terms with the situation. According to initial estimates, the floods have caused damage “well into the millions”, Saarland’s state premier Rehlinger said. The exact extent will only be known once the water has receded completely.

“However, it is already clear today that we will have to deal with massive damage to private property, but also to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and day care centres,” she said. “We have been fighting against masses of water for a few days, but we will certainly have to deal with the consequences for years.”

According to DWD meteorologist Bauer, heavy rainfall like this is becoming more frequent in Germany due to climate change.

“They are becoming more frequent and more intense, simply because a warmer atmosphere can absorb more moisture and the rainfall is therefore heavier,” he said. 

READ ALSO: ‘Record heat deaths and floods’: How Germany is being hit by climate change

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