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WEATHER

Train hits snow-clearing vehicle

A regional train collided with a snow-clearing vehicle in Lübeck in the state of Schleswig-Holstein on Sunday, in a weekend of traffic chaos caused by snowstorms across northern Germany.

Published: 31 January 2010 14:48 CET
Train hits snow-clearing vehicle
Photo: DPA

First investigations indicated that the vehicle was in the middle of clearing a country road when the barriers were lowered as the truck reached a level crossing. The driver was unable to get the truck off the rails, but managed to jump from it before the train arrived, police said.

The train dragged the vehicle some 80 metres before coming to rest. Both the train driver and around 30 passengers escaped injury. The track has since been blocked.

Other collisions between trains and road vehicles were reported in the Lübeck area over the weekend. A delivery truck got stuck on railway tracks on a forest road in the district of Kücknitz, causing another crash.

The low pressure front known as “Keziban” has brought more brutal winter weather to Germany, particularly the northern states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Storms, new snow and several-metre-high snowdrifts have disrupted rail and road traffic throughout northern Germany.

One Interior Ministry spokesman said that conditions were “even more drastic” in some areas than during the storm front “Daisy” from a few weeks ago.

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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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