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WEATHER

Hailstone fears for 17,000 new Volkswagens

Volkswagen is having to check around 17,000 new cars at its German headquarters after a severe hailstorm hit, potentially causing millions of euros worth of damage.

Published: 27 August 2013 12:48 CEST
Hailstone fears for 17,000 new Volkswagens
Photo: DPA

A spokesman for VW, which is Europe’s biggest car manufacturer, said that it was possible that “a considerable proportion” of the cars, which were fresh off the production line, had been damaged by huge hail stones at the end of July at the Wolfsburg plant.

“We will only ship cars that are 100 percent,” he added. Vehicles with less obvious damage will be repaired, while others will have to be scrapped.

Customers who have already ordered a car that was damaged by the hail will have to wait for a new one which could take some time.

SEE ALSO: Nine weird German weather phenomena

Volkswagen has insurance against such damage, but the logistical consequences are enormous. Thousands of customers have to be informed and each of the 17,000 cars will have to be thoroughly checked requiring lots of manpower.

In 2008, a hailstorm damaged 30,000 brand new cars at the VW plant in Emden, Lower Saxony.

READ MORE: Ping pong ball hail hits Germany

DPA/The Local/jcw

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WEATHER

‘Turbo spring’: Germany to see temperatures above 25C

Germany is set for a blast of warm weather in the coming week as the colder spell eases off.

Published: 26 April 2024 16:56 CEST
'Turbo spring': Germany to see temperatures above 25C

“The late winter weather of the past few days with frost and snow is a thing of the past for the time being, and spring will kick into turbo gear over the next few days,” said meteorologist Adrian Leyser from the German Weather Service (DWD) on Friday.

Temperatures are expected to rise sharply over the weekend with plenty of sunshine, forecasters said. In Germany anything above 25C is classed as a summer day. “The summer mark of 25C will be cracked regionally as early as Sunday,” said Leyser.

It comes as snow and hail hit Germany last week, and temperatures fell below freezing in some places.

But showers and thunderstorms are still possible in the west and north of Germany. Maximum temperatures there are expected to reach around 20C. 

According to the DWD, spring will get a little damper on Monday, with a few rain spells.  “However, the next low pressure system over Western Europe is preparing to turn on the warm air jet again from Tuesday,” said the meteorologist.

On Wednesday – which is a public holiday across Germany for International Workers’ Day – temperatures could soar nearer 30C. 

“In the south and east, we are even approaching the 30C mark,” said Leyser. However, the weather will remain “susceptible to disruption”, said Leyser, especially in the west where there is a risk of isolated and sometimes severe thunderstorms.

READ ALSO: What to do on May 1st in Germany

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