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Wintry weather hits dozens of flights

Lufthansa was forced to cancel 33 flights at Frankfurt airport on Sunday as snow and ice were expected to make runways unsafe. But last week's total shutdown is not likely to be repeated.

Published: 27 January 2013 11:43 CET

Wintry weather hits dozens of flights

Photo: DPA

All the cancelled flights listed on Lufthansa’s website were domestic or within Europe, with most scheduled in the afternoon and evening.

A spokesman for airport operator Fraport said that snow had been forecast in Frankfurt between 12 noon and 8pm. He said that would likely mean de-icing would be necessary, and flights would be delayed.

But he added that the dramatic situation of last Sunday, when all of Frankfurt’s air traffic had to be shut down for two hours, would not be repeated.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast

Meanwhile, Hamburg’s road-salting services were forced into a massive operation on Saturday night as snow showers caused extremely slippery conditions on the roads. Around 110 gritting trucks were called into action just after 8pm on Saturday evening, Reinhard Fiedler of the city cleaning department reported.

A further 270 vehicles were sent out at 4am, as temperatures of -3C caused icy conditions. Warm fronts moving in from the West meant that more precipitation was expected throughout Sunday.

The Local/DAPD/bk

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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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