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WEATHER

Summer of rain continues with flooding and heavy storms

Rain is set to fall across nearly every part of the country on Tuesday, and has already hit northern and central areas hard.

Published: 25 July 2017 10:23 CEST
Summer of rain continues with flooding and heavy storms
A crowd in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg on Monday waiting to hear the mayor speak. Photo: DPA.

Southern Lower Saxony and northern Thuringia were battered by storms between Monday and Tuesday, with between 50 to 80 litres of rain per square-metre falling over the last 24 hours – in some areas up to 100 litres.

“That is more than the usual monthly rainfall, and there will be some more to come,” said German Weather Service (DWD) meteorologist Thore Hansen.

In southern Lower Saxony, the rains caused flooding in basements and streets overnight before Tuesday, as well as streams overflowing. The areas around Hanover and in the Harz region were hit particularly hard, while in the town of Einbeck, the water on one street reached 20cm high, making the road impossible to drive along.

Saxony-Anhalt also experienced flooding, with the water levels of some rivers increasing dramatically.

And the storms are set to sweep the rest of the country starting on Tuesday.

“A low over central Europe is causing the bad weather in Germany, with moist and temperate air,” the DWD wrote in their weather report on Tuesday.

Several districts in central Germany between Göttingen and Braunschweig are on the highest alert (level four, dark purple in map below) for extreme weather conditions on Tuesday. Parts of central and eastern Germany are also on level three alert (red area on the map below) for bad weather, including Berlin and its surrounding area.

In western states, the DWD predicts rainfall of between 40 to 60 litres per square-metre within 48 hours from Tuesday, and in some places 60 to 90 litres per square-metre.

The northeast and south are set to experience squalls over the next 24 hours.

The rainy weather is set to continue across Germany through Wednesday and in most places also into Thursday. The southwest around Stuttgart and Konstanz is the only area expected to see clear skies on Thursday.

Even Friday is set to be a rainy day – also in Stuttgart and Konstanz – from north to south.

Forecast for Wednesday:

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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