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Storm ‘Heini’ bears down on Germany

Germany was preparing to batten down the hatches on Tuesday evening, as storm "Heini“ approaches from the north-west, bringing hurricane-force winds in tow.

Published: 17 November 2015 16:49 CET

Storm 'Heini' bears down on Germany

Heavy rain in Hamburg. Photo: DPA

After starting life in the Atlantic, Heini made its way over Scotland and Scandinavia before approaching the north and east coasts of Germany.

Strong winds and rain are expected across the entire country.

While hurricane force gusts will be rare in the plains, “in the mountains and hills the storm will rage,“ said Christopher Hartmann of the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the mountains force 12 winds (hurricane force) are to be expected and in the North Sea will also be hit by heavy gusts, with the DWD issuing a severe storm warning.

And as soon as Heini has blown itself out a depression called “Ivan” is set to take its place.

Ivan will will cause temperatures to plummet by the weekend, possibly bringing snow with it.

“If we wake up to a white view out of our windows this weekend we shouldn't be all that surprised,“ said Hartmann.

The torrential rain that Germany has already seen this week has led to some flooding in northern Germany. In the north-west the rivers Oste and Lune have both broken their banks.

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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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