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WEATHER

Icy roads in eastern half of Germany cause traffic chaos

Black ice on motorways in the eastern side of Germany caused dozens of accidents across several states on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Published: 31 January 2017 09:50 CET
Icy roads in eastern half of Germany cause traffic chaos
A truck overturned on Monday in Bernau, Brandenburg.

Upper Palatinate in Bavaria counted more than 80 accidents as of 7am on Tuesday due to streets and train tracks covered in ice.

“There's a new accident almost every minute,” said a police spokesman in Upper Palatinate.

In Lower Bavaria, police counted 40 accidents on Monday night as many cars slid off of roads or into other vehicles. Five people were slightly injured in these accidents.

One stretch of the Autobahn in the direction of Regensburg was closed off for an hour and a half due to a truck accident.

Meanwhile in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, police counted 29 collisions with three people slightly injured in total. Thuringen and Saxony also had several accidents. But in Berlin and Brandenburg, slushy snow caused only a few problems on roadways.

The German Weather Service (DWD) warned that on Tuesday there would continue to be freezing rain and black ice in parts of Bavaria. And classes were cancelled in schools in Lower Bavaria, Upper Bavaria, and Upper Palatinate due to the weather conditions.

In northeastern Germany, the DWD predicted that the highest temperatures would be at the freezing point for Tuesday with snow expected, while the rest of the country is expected to have milder weather. The southwest could see the mercury rise to 7C.

On Wednesday, the west, southwest, and alpine regions are predicted to have rain, while eastern mountain ranges could see snow. But overall, most of the country is expected to have temperatures slightly above freezing.

Weather forecast for Wednesday:
 

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WEATHER

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Severe storms and heavy rain affected parts of Germany on Thursday, creating disruptions. More rain is forecast on Friday but weather warnings have been lifted.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
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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