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Forecasters warn public of falling trees as Germany braces for next storm

After two hurricane-force storms battered Germany within a week, a third gale is set to make landfall on Sunday. The German Weather Service (DWD) have said that damaged trees pose a real danger.

Published: 20 February 2022 09:15 CET

Forecasters warn public of falling trees as Germany braces for next storm

"Tree felling". Authorities continue to urge caution over falling trees.

The storm front known as Antonia is set to follow hot on the heels on Zeynep, with winds approaching hurricane force to pummel the north of the country on Sunday evening.

While the storm isn’t expected to be as intense as the previous two, the DWD cautioned on Sunday that it will hit trees that have been left damaged by the winds of the past week.

“Trees already affected by previous storms and standing in sometimes severely sodden soils can easily topple in the process,” warned DWD weatherman Adrian Leyser.

Zeynep has been confirmed as the most severe storm of the past 15 years. It led to at least three deaths and caused an estimated 900 million euros of damage.

The storm front Ylenia, which hit Germany on Thursday, also cause around half a billion euros in damages, according to the consultancy firm Meyerthole Siems Kohlruss.

Deutsche Bahn has told travellers to expect train delays well into Monday as the company works on clearing fallen trees and repairing damage over some 1,000 kilometres of its rail network.

“The forecast for Sunday and also Monday remains difficult,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauß.

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Severe weather warnings issued as Germany braces for more storms

Severe weather is expected in the southwest of the country on Friday, with the heaviest rain expected in Saarbrücken, as well as the surrounding areas of Saarland and southern Rhineland-Palatinate.

In these areas Germany’s weather service (DWD) has level 4 warnings in place – meaning that the rain is expected to be extremely heavy (more than 40 litres per square metre in an hour, or 60 litres per square metre in 6 hours).

Slightly less severe, but still heavy continuous rain can also be expected in the surrounding regions, extending as far as Stuttgart and Mainz.

Speaking to Bild newspaper, Climatologist Dr. Karsten Brandt suggested that the heavy precipitation and thunderstorms will continue to move northwest, even into southern North-Rhine Westphalia (Aachen).

There are also wind warnings in parts of the country, with squalls expected on the Brocken and the Fichtelberg mountains, as well as in the Black Forest and in the Alps.

Currently, the highest wind warnings are in Dresden and southern Bavaria near the Alps.

Friday’s weather warnings come in the wake of chaotic weather that flooded Nuremberg and parts of Bavaria Thursday night, where many roads flooded. Cars were submerged in water and bus routes were cancelled.

A number of household cellars also flooded as well as a large underground car park at the Technical University.

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

What will the weekend bring?

Beyond the area of severe weather warnings but not beyond the reach of the storm, Cologne will have some rain on Friday which may continue on through the weekend.

Germany’s northern and eastern regions have dodged the recent bout of storms so far, but in Berlin scattered thunderstorms can be expected to move in by Sunday afternoon. This may put a dampener on the Karneval der Kulturen parade.

In Bremen and Hamburg, residents can expect some rain showers on Sunday and Monday, with a chance of thunderstorms as well.

In Munich and Nuremberg, it looks as if the worst is over. Some small showers may continue into Saturday, but Bavarian residents can look forward to a sunny Sunday ahead of the public holiday on Monday for Pentecost.

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