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WEATHER

Snow, sleet and frost are on the way for much of Germany

The start of the festive season brings with it fittingly wintry conditions for much of the country, with snowfall in the south and even a few snow showers in the north at the weekend.

Published: 29 November 2017 16:47 CET
Snow, sleet and frost are on the way for much of Germany
Snowplough clears a road in the Harz mountains. Photo: DPA

On Thursday, wide-spread rain, sleet and snow showers are predicted across much of Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) reports.

The snow is likely to settle on the ground above 500m and will be especially thick in the Alps and in the Black Forest, where up to 15cm of new snow is expected.

Eastern Germany can expect moments of sunshine but there will be thick cloud and the possibility of thunderstorms in the west throughout the day and showers will continue into the evening in the south and west.

With temperatures reaching highs of just 5C across the country and dropping to as low as -6C in mountain regions, conditions may get a little icy overnight.

On Friday, it's good news for many German ski resorts as thick clouds will bring sleet and snow across central and southern Germany, with even more snowfall in the Alps. The weather in the west and northwest will be changeable with occasional cloud cover and intermittent showers. 

The clouds are predicted to thicken on Friday night and temperatures will drop to around freezing. Rainfall is likely to ease in most areas of the country but there is still a possibility of snowfall in mountain regions.

On Saturday, the north and northwest may finally get their share of the snow with light snowfall predicted in the morning. Unfortunately, the snow is likely to turn to rain as the day goes on before moving southwards.

Snowfall in the Alps will begin to subside in the second half of the day and the weather will stay relatively dry across the south in the evening.

In the day, temperatures across the north will rise to between 1C and 4C, but will remain around freezing in the south and southwest. Temperatures will then drop to between 1C and -5C in the north and between -3C and -8C in the south at night.

On Sunday, more snowfall is predicted in the south and southwest during the day, with thick cloud and rain in the west. Temperatures will rise to between 2C and 5C in the north but will remain around freezing in the south.

As the day goes on there's a chance of snow and sleet in the southeast which is predicted to continue on to Monday and once again snow will continue to fall on high ground.

 

 

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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