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Cyclone fells trees and rips off roofs

A clear up operation began in parts of western Germany on Monday morning after winds ripped off roofs and felled trees on Sunday night. A small cyclone hit one spa town.

Published: 11 August 2014 08:57 CEST

Cyclone fells trees and rips off roofs

Emergency workers in Bad Schwalbach, Hesse, which was hit by a cyclone. Photo: DPA

The storms hit Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse the hardest, felling dozens of trees, damaging 50 cars and ripping off roofs.

One driver was injured in Rhineland-Palatinate when he tried to avoid a fallen tree and drove into another tree.

Trains were delayed between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim because of the storms.

The spa town of Bad Schwalbach in Hesse was particularly affected after being hit by a cyclone. According to police, 50 homes either had their roofs completely ripped off or damaged. Several trees fell onto the roof of a hotel in the village.

“It looks like a bomb has been dropped on the place,” one eyewitness said.

Click here for more pictures of the storm damage

Weather warnings are currently in place for Munich and southern Bavaria, the north German coast and the area around Erfurt in the centre of the country.

CLICK HERE for the weather forecast where you are

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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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