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WEATHER

Trains in northern Germany cancelled over storm

Several train services in the northern half of the country are being cancelled due to severe weather warnings.

Published: 18 February 2022 16:51 CET
A sign on a train in Dortmund says 'do not board'. Lots of services have been cancelled due to the storm.
A sign on a train in Dortmund says 'do not board'. Lots of services have been cancelled due to the storm. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Thissen

After storm Ylenia hit the country on Wednesday night and Thursday, a new weather front called Zeynep is expected on Friday afternoon, bringing with it extreme winds and lots of rain.

And it’s having an impact on travel. 

Deutsche Bahn said on Friday that several regional and long-distance services in the northern half of the country were being suspended.

The suspension of regional services affects Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Bremen, as well as parts of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The cancellations will take place gradually “during the course of the day”, the spokesperson said. In North Rhine-Westphalia, this was to begin on some lines from 2pm.

READ ALSO: Germany issues extreme weather warning for next storm

In the long-distance network, connections from Hamburg in the direction of Berlin, Hanover and Cologne are affected. ICE and IC services on the east-west route between Cologne via Hanover to Berlin were also suspended on Friday. 

Deutsche Bahn said there would be “no more long-distance trains north of Dortmund, Hanover and Berlin”.

Meanwhile, ICE and IC trains between Frankfurt(Main) or Berlin and Amsterdam have been cancelled throughout the day.

Free cancellation of tickets

The Deutsche Bahn spokesperson told Germany’s Tagesschau that the cancellations are due to “severe” storm warnings.

The rail operator is strongly advising that passengers postpone their journeys and rebook. Passengers can use their tickets booked for the period from Thursday to Sunday flexibly until February 27th, or cancel them free of charge if they postpone journeys because of the storm.

If that isn’t possible, passengers have been strongly advised to stay informed about the current storm and possibility of delays and cancellations.

Gusts of up to 160 km/h are predicted in some parts of northern Germany. 

Forecasters at the German Weather Service (DWD) predict storm Zeynep will affect the northern half and centre of Germany from Friday afternoon until early Saturday morning.

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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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