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WEATHER

Dozens hurt in accidents as winter returns

Slush and ice caused accidents that injured dozens of people across Germany on Wednesday, authorities reported. Meanwhile more snow is expected to accompany a cold front from the west, the German Weather Service (DWD).

Published: 26 January 2011 11:03 CET
Dozens hurt in accidents as winter returns
An accident in northern Hesse on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

In the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, a bakery delivery truck spun out of control and hit a snowplough head-on, severely injuring the driver.

A 71-year-old pedestrian in the neighbouring state of Bavaria was hit by a sliding van in Hof, suffering life-threatening head injuries. Police said the driver of the vehicle was unable to stop in time due to treacherous road conditions.

Meanwhile on the A71 motorway in Bavaria, police reported six auto accidents involving a total of 20 vehicles along a stretch of road just a few hundred metres long. Twelve people were injured, with five hospitalized, among them a five-year-old child.

Winter weather also caused an accident between a train and a tractor trailer truck in Bavaria’s Upper Palatinate region. The collision injured the train driver and one of his 30 passengers, along with the truck driver.

In the central German state of Saxony, police reported an accident along the A72 where a car rolled after hitting another vehicle, then landed on another. The 24-year-old driver sustained severe injuries, they said.

In Hesse, a 35-year-old driver was also severely injured when he lost control of his car and landed in a ditch, hitting a drain pipe.

Police estimated that accidents had caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage by mid-morning.

A cold front blowing over Germany from Ireland is expected to bring chilly temperatures and snow to southern and eastern Germany in the coming days. Areas above between 200 and 400 metres in altitude should expect “light to moderate” accumulation and slippery road conditions, DWD meteorologist Thomas Ruppert said.

High temperatures for Wednesday will range between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius, with scattered snow showers set to continue overnight as temperatures drop to between -2 and -9 degrees.

Eastern Germany and southern mid-range mountains will see more snow on Thursday, which will be slightly colder at between -2 and 2 degrees.

Snowflakes are likely to fall again on Friday when chilly temperatures will prevail, dropping as low as -15 overnight.

But by Saturday conditions are likely to improve, Ruppert said, with just a few snowflakes and partly cloudy conditions.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

DPA/The Local/ka

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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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