Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WEATHER

Injuries at wedding as more storms hit Germany

Eight people were injured after a falling branch from a tree crashed onto guests at a wedding party during stormy weather in Germany.

Published: 13 June 2019 09:20 CEST
Injuries at wedding as more storms hit Germany
A fallen tree in Brandenburg during Wednesday's storms. Photo: DPA

Around 100 guests had gathered at the outdoor wedding in Blankensee, near Neubrandenburg in southern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on Wednesday when the incident happened, police said.

Due to high winds, a large branch broke off from a tree around 8.30pm and fell from a height of four metres onto the group.

Three women and four men suffered serious injuries, while another man was slightly injured.

The guests had been attending a wedding in the centre of Blankensee, in the northern German state. Emergency services attended the scene and those who were injured were taken to surrounding hospitals.

READ ALSO: Travel chaos after thunderstorms and rain lash eastern Germany

Storm causes disruption

Meanwhile in the city of Oranienburg in Brandenburg, 11 people suffered minor injuries after the top part of a tree broke off and hit them.

It came as severe storms hit eastern and northern parts of Germany. Due to the heavy rainfall, many streets were flooded and hurricane-like gusts of wind uprooted trees.

In Berlin alone, emergency services were called out on more than 200 operations in just two hours, from about 6-8pm on Wednesday. Due to the heavy rainfall, many streets were flooded and hurricane-like gusts of wind uprooted trees.

A cyclist braves the rain during storms in Berlin. Photo: DPA

A lightning strike in the Tempelhof area damaged the whole Ringbahn network, leaving passengers stranded.

Operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed that due to “damage to the infrastructure” all long-distance connections in the Berlin city area were temporarily suspended. Technicians were on duty to inspect the damage.

The disruption lasted about two hours but delays continued into the night.

Meanwhile, there were reports of boats capsizing on the Wannsee lake in the west of the city.

In the city of Dresden, revellers heading to a Rammstein gig were affected. The Rudolf Harbig Stadium had to be cleared of water because of the rain. Fans had to leave the venue, but were allowed to return after an hour.

The start of the concert was delayed.

A series of summer storms have been lashing the country recently. In Munich on Monday, giant hailstones injured people and damaged cars and homes. The weather has also been causing severe disruption to the transport network.

SEE ALSO: IN PICTURES – Giant hailstones hit Munich as storms continue across Germany

Calmer day on Thursday

Forecasters say the weather is expected to be calmer on Thursday. A meteorologist at the German Weather Service (DWD) said the risk of storms was much lower than on Wednesday.

Lightning in Treplin, Brandenburg on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

But there's still a chance of isolated thunderstorms and torrential rain in areas such as the Black Forest as well as in Thuringia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

All in all, it will be a bit cooler in Germany on Thursday. Temperatures on Wednesday had reached 34C in some places before the storm hit.

According to the DWD, the highest temperatures – around 26-28C – were likely in places such as Berlin. Bavaria and areas along the Danube, could also experience similar highs.

In the west it will be much cooler, with temperatures of around 14C in Saarbruken and 17C in Bremen.

Vocabulary

Wedding party (die) Hochzeitsgesellschaft

Branch – (der) Ast

Long distance trains- (die) Fernzüge

Thunderstorm – (das) Gewitter

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating words in some news stories. Did you find this useful? Can we do anything else? Let us know.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

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

SHOW COMMENTS