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WEATHER

Roads dangerous with more snow on the way

Motorists in Germany had to contend with snow and wintry driving conditions on Tuesday morning, as meteorologists forecast up to 40 centimetres of snow in some areas.

Published: 17 February 2009 08:34 CET
Roads dangerous with more snow on the way
Photo: DPA

Closed streets, jackknifed semi trucks, and two fatalities plagued German roads throughout the night as heavy snowfall hammered the country for a second night. While traffic in northern and western Germany was a bit more manageable due to higher temperatures, there were numerous accidents in the southern part of the country.

Icy roads in upper Bavaria near Haag killed one driver in a head on collision with a semi truck on the B12 motorway. Another driver was seriously injured in the accident. Another head on collision between a car and a bus left another 25-year-old driver dead in Deisenhausen in the same state, police reported.

In the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg several buildings were damaged by cars sliding out of control near Crailsheim. And near Karlsruhe large trucks struggled to stay on the road on the B36, which police said was littered with overturned vehicles.

The German Weather Service (DWD) predicted “lots of snow” in higher altitudes and the Black Forest region, with a thick blanket of up to 20 centimetres of snow in the Alps. The southern Allgäu region could get up to 40 centimetres, DWD said.

Western Germany can expect snow or rain as cloud cover eases throughout the day. Northern and eastern Germany will have clear skies by evening after snow ends there. Temperatures will likely remain around zero degrees Celsius, DWD said.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

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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