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STORM

Incoming storm: Hurricane-force winds on the way to Germany

Extreme weather is predicted across Germany in the coming week, with hurricane-force winds expected, and flood warnings put out across many states.

Published: 20 February 2017 17:18 CET
Incoming storm: Hurricane-force winds on the way to Germany
Photo: DWD

Monday's weather forecasts made for some grim reading for many across Germany as locals discovered that severe weather warnings had been issued for their areas.

Large proportions of the country had some level of weather warning issued as of Monday afternoon until Wednesday, with some districts facing potential flooding or heavy storms. 

A level 3 warning, the second most serious, was issued in the Harz Mountains area, with the German Weather Service (DWD) expecting hurricane-force winds of up to 110 km/h. The DWD also forecast potential flooding due to melting ice.

The DWD has warned people in the area to avoid going outside, and to stay away from buildings, trees, and power lines.

Yellow areas mean level 1 warnings, orange means level 2 or “striking” warnings, while green means no weather warning. Click on the image to see the latest warning status.

Strong winds were also forecast between Monday evening and Tuesday evening for all of the northern states, with wind speeds of up to 60 km/h expected. Stronger, gale-force winds were predicted in some districts of the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

Much of the state of Baden-Württemberg has a level 2 weather warning, with the DWD cautioning some districts in the east that they could see up to 50mm of rain over only a 48-hour period, higher than the average rainfall for the whole month.

Due to the high amount of rainfall, combined with the large amount of ice and snow expected to melt by Wednesday, the DWD warned of high water levels in streams and rivers, and the potential flooding of some streets. 

Similar warnings for thawing ice have been issued across Thuringia, almost half of Saxony, and many areas of Bavaria, with some districts expecting large quantities of water to be drained over the next 48 hours. 

The new weather warnings comes after Germany experienced two vicious storms, Axel and Egon, in the early half of January. 

In the wake of storm Axel, the worst flooding for a decade was seen along the Baltic coast. The rising tides flooded streets and basements, and left cars underwater in many coastal areas. 

While nobody was hurt in storm Axel, storm Egon left two dead, and thousands more without power.

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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