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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: Bitter cold spell arrives in Germany as temperatures dip to -16C

Anyone going outside in Germany on Monday had to bundle up, as temperatures plummeted.

Published: 8 January 2024 15:16 CET
ice brandenburg gate
Pieces of ice are scattered across the cold ground in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Monday morning. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jörg Carstensen

Last week in Germany, it might have seemed like winter was coming to an end, and spring making an early start, with temperatures reaching as high as 12C by midweek. But that suddenly shifted by the weekend, as the mercury has plunged into the minus temperatures thanks to icy winds entering from Scandinavia.

READ ALSO: Germany braces for blast of snow and freezing temperatures

By Monday, parts of Germany saw temperatures as low as -16C in the early morning hours. While temperatures hovered around -1C to -6C in most regions during the day, the German Weather Service (DWD) issued a warning that they would again drop at night.

The regions coloured orange, they cautioned, could see temperatures between -9 and -12C, or as low as -15C when there’s also snow.

In Broken, Saxony-Anhalt, snow coated the train tracks and temperatures dropped to an excruciating -16C in the morning.

snow saxony anhalt

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Matthias Bein

It became so icy in the town in the Harz Mountains that a digger was completely frozen over by the morning.

Bagger

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Matthias Bein

The cold didn’t stop farmers around Germany, such as this group in Seeon, Bavaria, from taking part in a planned protest on the country’s agricultural policy.

READ ALSO: Where are farmers blocking traffic around Germany on Monday?

farmers bavaria

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel

Stuttgart residents woke up a couple weeks late to a White Christmas, as snow had lightly coated the tops of houses in the

snow in stuttgart

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat

One X user wrote that the bitter cold weather was “fitting” of Germany’s current political climate and farmers’ protests.

Another pointed out that at least the sun had emerged by the late morning.

Munich was dealing with serious snowfall on Monday, as this photo taken in Olympiapark shows. 

Snow in Munich

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sven Hoppe
 
Meanwhile in Hanover, inflatable figures fell over on a snow coated football field.
 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Julian Stratenschulte

Though winter has returned to Germany suddenly, it’s unlikely to exit as quickly as it came: weather experts predict that the cold spell and minus-degree temperatures could remain for the coming weeks.

Not all snow-lovers in Germany will see white flakes coating the ground this time around, unfortunately, but meteorologists say there could be even more coming around mid-January.

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WEATHER

Severe weather warnings issued as Germany braces for more storms

Extreme weather warnings for heavy rainfall remain in place in parts of Germany on Friday following flooding in the south. There is also a chance of thunderstorms at the weekend.

Published: 17 May 2024 10:37 CEST
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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