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WEATHER

Deutsche Bahn halts rail services throughout Germany as storm intensifies

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn said Sunday it was halting long-distance train services in many parts of northwestern Germany because of disruptions caused by Storm Ciara, which also hit other countries in Europe.

Published: 9 February 2020 18:11 CET
Deutsche Bahn halts rail services throughout Germany as storm intensifies
A sign in Oberelsungen, Hesse reads that train traffic is "provisionally suspended" on Sunday afternoon. Photo: DPA

“Since there have already been disruptions caused by the cyclone, we are temporarily halting long-distance travel in large parts of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bremen with immediate effect,”  it said on its website.

“Because of current developments and increasingly powerful winds we have decided to progressively suspend all long-distance traffic across Germany from 6 pm,” it said.

Several airports in Germany also had to cancel flights as the storm swept in from the north.

Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Hanover were among those affected, while at Düsseldorf, 111 flights were scrapped on Sunday.

READ ALSO: Germany braces for violent storms and extreme winds

Winds of more than 120 km/hr predicted

Throughout Europe, Britain and Ireland were lashed by howling winds and inundated with driving rain Sunday as Storm Ciara left homes without power, wiped out sports events and disrupted travel around northwestern Europe.

The bad weather also hit France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland throughout Sunday, causing scores of flights to be cancelled.

According to forecasters in Germany, the wind will continue to increase and heavy gusts are likely in some areas.

“With a cold front moving simultaneously from northwest to southeast, gale-force gusts of over 105 km/h and hurricane-speed gusts are also possible at times,” said the German Weather Service (DWD).

Some weather experts predicted wind speeds of more than 120km/h.

The following map shows DWD's prediction of wind speeds around Germany.

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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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