Storm Thomas brought high winds and heavy rain to much of Germany on the first night of Carnival on Thursday.

The jesters in the Rhineland had their party spoiled by the bad weather on Weiberfastnacht, the first day of Carnival. Bonn’s opening party was cancelled while in Düsseldorf celebrations were curtailed.

Strong winds of up to 110 km/h blew down trees, wrecked cars and cancelled trains as debris lay scattered on the tracks. One motorist was seriously injured when a tree fell on his car and emergencies services were called out respond to hundreds of calls.

By Friday morning the weather had calmed significantly, but temperatures had also taken a dive.

Snow is expected to fall in regions situated higher than 300m above sea level on Friday evening. Icy roads are also expected, with the thermometer in several areas dipping below freezing overnight.

The German weather service reports that the weekend will be cloudy and rainy in the north. Meanwhile, the south will see more sun and higher temperatures, reaching double digits.

Monday will repeat the same pattern, though temperatures should rise.

A persistent south-westerly wind means that it will still feel chilly, however. Spring isn’t here yet.