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Winter threatens southern Germany

After hitting a balmy 19C in some places on Friday, Bavaria is set to freeze over the weekend, with weathermen warning to expect the first overnight frosts and icy roads of the winter.

Published: 8 November 2013 17:32 CET

Winter threatens southern Germany

The shape of things to come? Photo: DPA

News site merkur-online said temperatures in Munich would drop significantly, hardly leaving single figures for the next few days.

It warned Bavarians that a rainy weekend and freezing temperatures on Sunday night could lead to black ice on roads on Monday morning, when gritting lorries were likely to be out for the first time this winter.

The German Weather Service (DWD) said on Friday that snowfall heights would come down to between 600 and 800 metres on Saturday night, and stay as low as 700 to 1000 metres during Sunday.

The cold weather is expected as cold air currents pulled in by a low-pressure system were due to hit Germany on Friday night.

The low pressure front will bring with it windy, rainy weather and possible storms across the country, but especially in the west, the Weather Service reported.

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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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