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LIGHTNING

Lightning strikes set houses on fire in Bavaria and Saxony

Lightning strikes in Bavaria and Saxony overnight between Wednesday and Thursday sent several houses and buildings up in flames.

Published: 10 August 2017 14:16 CEST
Lightning strikes set houses on fire in Bavaria and Saxony
Lightning strikes in Saxony on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

In the eastern Saxon town of Lauta, lightning hit a house and set the roof truss on fire, according to police. The same happened in Thalmässing, Bavaria near Nuremberg.

Also nearby Passau, lightning struck a shed and barn at a farm on fire, causing both buildings to burn down.

No one was injured in any of the fires in Saxony and Bavaria. The damage in Bavaria alone totaled around €150,000.

The German Weather Service (DWD) predicts more stormy weather ahead this week as rain is set to fall across nearly every part of the country on Friday. The southern part of Germany in particular could see thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

Forecast for Friday:

The DWD also predicts Saturday to be somewhat rainy throughout the country, but Sunday is set to be sunny with high temperatures between 19C and 25C.

 

WEATHER

Severe weather warnings issued as Germany braces for more storms

Extreme weather warnings for heavy rainfall remain in place in parts of Germany on Friday following flooding in the south. There is also a chance of thunderstorms at the weekend.

Published: 17 May 2024 10:37 CEST
Severe weather warnings issued as Germany braces for more storms

Severe weather is expected in the southwest of the country on Friday, with the heaviest rain expected in Saarbrücken, as well as the surrounding areas of Saarland and southern Rhineland-Palatinate.

In these areas Germany’s weather service (DWD) has level 4 warnings in place – meaning that the rain is expected to be extremely heavy (more than 40 litres per square metre in an hour, or 60 litres per square metre in 6 hours).

Slightly less severe, but still heavy continuous rain can also be expected in the surrounding regions, extending as far as Stuttgart and Mainz.

Speaking to Bild newspaper, Climatologist Dr. Karsten Brandt suggested that the heavy precipitation and thunderstorms will continue to move northwest, even into southern North-Rhine Westphalia (Aachen).

There are also wind warnings in parts of the country, with squalls expected on the Brocken and the Fichtelberg mountains, as well as in the Black Forest and in the Alps.

Currently, the highest wind warnings are in Dresden and southern Bavaria near the Alps.

Friday’s weather warnings come in the wake of chaotic weather that flooded Nuremberg and parts of Bavaria Thursday night, where many roads flooded. Cars were submerged in water and bus routes were cancelled.

A number of household cellars also flooded as well as a large underground car park at the Technical University.

READ ALSO: Record heat deaths and floods – How Germany is being hit by climate change

What will the weekend bring?

Beyond the area of severe weather warnings but not beyond the reach of the storm, Cologne will have some rain on Friday which may continue on through the weekend.

Germany’s northern and eastern regions have dodged the recent bout of storms so far, but in Berlin scattered thunderstorms can be expected to move in by Sunday afternoon. This may put a dampener on the Karneval der Kulturen parade. 

In Bremen and Hamburg, residents can expect some rain showers on Sunday and Monday, with a chance of thunderstorms as well.

In Munich and Nuremberg, it looks as if the worst is over. Some small showers may continue into Saturday, but Bavarian residents can look forward to a sunny Sunday ahead of the public holiday on Monday for Pentecost. 

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