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Tornado tears through northern Cologne

A tornado tore through Cologne’s northern Roggendorf district on Sunday evening, damaging cars, homes and gardens along a 300-metre path, according to the fire department.

Published: 8 June 2009 10:50 CEST

Tornado tears through northern Cologne

Photo: DPA

The twister blew roofs off more than ten buildings around 5:30 pm. Meanwhile flying objects broke windows and battered structure walls. One large tree was also uprooted by the sudden storm and blocked traffic the fire department said on Monday.

A pavilion took to the air, landing on an overhead railroad cable near Worringen and delaying train traffic, Cologne daily Express reported.

Some 60 fire fighters rushed to the scene to clean up the storm damage, the sum of which has not yet been calculated by authorities.

“It was absolutely insane,” 19-year-old witness Michael Cobanoglu told the paper. “Suddenly it was pitch black. Everything rattled. My twin sister thought it was a plane crash.”

The tornado lasted some 20 seconds, the Roggendorf resident said.

His neighbour Matthias Paar estimated that damages to his roof – temporarily repaired by fire fighters – would reach a “five-figure sum.”

Fortunately, no one was injured by the twister.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

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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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