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WEATHER

Two dead as flooding hits German states of Saxony and Bavaria

Two people have died and many others moved to safety in one Bavarian district as parts of the southern state and Saxony are battered by the heavy rain and flooding that is also devastating parts of western Europe.

Two dead as flooding hits German states of Saxony and Bavaria
View on the river Salzach, after heavy rainfall and flood caused damage in Berchtesgaden, South-eastern Bavaria, Germany, on July 18th, 2021. UWE LEIN / AFP

The Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria declared a state of emergency late Saturday afternoon following torrential rain which led to widespread flooding, Germany’s Tageschau reported on Sunday.

There were two fatalities, although one died of natural causes that could have been related to the storm, and 130 people had to be evacuated to safety.

Within this district, the municipalities of Berchtesgaden, Bischofswiesen, Schönau am Königssee, Marktschellenberg and Ramsau were particularly badly affected with landslides and rivers breaching their banks and flooding streets, while the Scheffau area of Marktschellenberg was completely cut off from the outside world.

The fire brigade were out in force to make areas safe and start clear-up operations.

They had been called out some 500 times and there were 890 helpers working in the area currently, according to Tagesschau.

Firefighters clean debris and mud after heavy rainfall and flood caused major damage in Marktschellenberg, South-eastern Bavaria, Germany, on July 18th, 2021.(Photo by UWE LEIN / AFP)

“Emergency calls are coming in all the time,” a police spokesperson in the south-eastern city of Rosenheim said, Tageschau reported.

Pictures showed dramatic scenes of streets that had turned into wild rivers and people wading knee-deep through the waters.

Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and Bavarian Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann were planning to travel to the flooded areas in South-East Bavaria on Sunday afternoon, according to government sources.

Chancellor Angela Merkel was also visiting flood-ravaged areas in Germany the same day to survey the damage and meet survivors.

READ ALSO:  Merkel to visit flood zone as western Europe death toll tops 180

Heavy rainfall has also caused severe flooding in parts of the eastern German state of Saxony making several areas of Saxon Switzerland completely inaccessible.

According to the Saxon Flood Centre, it rained more than 100 litres per square metre in 24 hours in the catchment area of the towns of Kirnitzsch and Sebnitz, causing many rivers to swell rapidly.

Neustadt, Sebnitz, Bad Schandau, Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna and Gohrisch were particularly badly affected, according to the district administration of Saxon Switzerland-Osterzgebirge.

Flooding has been severe in the west of the country, too. At least 156 people have died since Wednesday in Germany’s worst flooding in living memory, police said.

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WEATHER

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

The moment many people around Germany have been waiting for is almost here: as of Thursday, temperatures are expected to crack the 20C mark and stay warm through the start of spring.

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

Whether it’s the pink cherry blossom trees which have started to bloom, lighter evenings or people walking around with ice cream cones, the signs of springs have already started to show around Germany in March.

Now the weather is also catching up: following rain storms on Wednesday, the mercury is expected to reach at least 20C in many parts of the Bundesrepublik on Thursday. 

READ ALSO: Seven signs that Spring has arrived in Germany

First there’s some damper news: On Wednesday, Germany – in particular the southwest – is expected to be hit by the storms. In the Black Forest, 30 to 40 litres per square metre will fall by midday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the Alps, light snowfall will set in above 1,000 to 1,200 metres, with fresh snowfall of around five centimetres expected. 

The rain will ease by the following morning, but it will remain cloudy.

Up to 21C on Thursday

On Thursday, after the morning the fog disappears, people can look forward to a sunny and dry day – especially in the south and western parts of Germany. 

Temperatures will rise to a pleasant 14 to 21C degrees, with the highest values on the Upper Rhine. 

In mountainous areas and by the sea, it will remain somewhat cooler at 10C to 14C. 

Friday will be characterised by changeable weather: there will be sunny spells as well as rain showers, which will spread from the west and may be heavy in places – including thunderstorms. 

Temperatures will be between 14C and 18C degrees, and in the Lausitz region in eastern Germany it could even reach a warm 20 degrees.

Warmer weeks

While this Sunday could still see some single digit temperatures in northern parts of Germany – such as 9C in Berlin and Hamburg – the coming week is set to experience continually warmer weather, remaining at 14C and higher. 

The first day of spring officially begins this year with the Spring Equinox on March 19th. The days will become even lighter in Germany after Daylight Savings Time, which this year takes place in the early hours of Easter Sunday, or March 31st.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in March 2024

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