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WEATHER

Extreme weather advisory as thunderstorms to hit southern Germany

After strong storms caused streets and cellars to flood in Lower Saxony and Hesse on Sunday, German meteorologists have warned of an extreme weather watch as more thunderstorms and heavy rain are predicted for the southwest of the country on Monday.

Extreme weather advisory as thunderstorms to hit southern Germany
A flooded street in Hesse on Sunday. Photo: DPA

Around noon, the storm from the northeast will start making its way down to the southwest toward Baden-Württemberg, bringing with it hail and heavy rain throughout the day and into the evening, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

Rain will continuously fall in the Alps and at the western edge of the mountainous range, while temperatures will hover between 15C and 25C.

Meanwhile the north and the centre of the country will be sunny and dry on Monday, with temperatures climbing to summer-like highs of between 25C and 29C in some areas.

Localized thunderstorms are predicted for the rest of the week at least until Thursday, reports the DWD.

Due to the severe weather on Sunday, the emergency services were out on dozens of calls in cities and towns across Lower Saxony and Hesse.

In Osnabrück, basements filled up with water and street were flooded. The rail route between Osnabrück and Oldenburg was temporarily closed down due to fallen trees on the tracks.

The third day of a music festival in the town of Aurich was moreover cancelled due to the bad weather. According to a police spokeswoman, 5,000 visitors left the site within an hour due to the area being completely full of water.

Lightning, thunder and heavy rain also meant that firefighters had their work cut out. A lightning strike is likely what caused a house in Wirdum, East Frisia to catch fire. The family of four living inside were able to escape unharmed, though firefighters spent three hours putting out the flames.

In Hesse, rescue workers in the Vogelsberg district near Fulda were busy dealing with flooded roads and cellars as well as mud slipping down hillsides.

There were no casualties after a car was carried away by floods and thrown against the wall of a house in Feldatal.

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WEATHER

‘Turbo spring’: Germany to see temperatures above 25C

Germany is set for a blast of warm weather in the coming week as the colder spell eases off.

'Turbo spring': Germany to see temperatures above 25C

“The late winter weather of the past few days with frost and snow is a thing of the past for the time being, and spring will kick into turbo gear over the next few days,” said meteorologist Adrian Leyser from the German Weather Service (DWD) on Friday.

Temperatures are expected to rise sharply over the weekend with plenty of sunshine, forecasters said. In Germany anything above 25C is classed as a summer day. “The summer mark of 25C will be cracked regionally as early as Sunday,” said Leyser.

It comes as snow and hail hit Germany last week, and temperatures fell below freezing in some places.

But showers and thunderstorms are still possible in the west and north of Germany. Maximum temperatures there are expected to reach around 20C. 

According to the DWD, spring will get a little damper on Monday, with a few rain spells.  “However, the next low pressure system over Western Europe is preparing to turn on the warm air jet again from Tuesday,” said the meteorologist.

On Wednesday – which is a public holiday across Germany for International Workers’ Day – temperatures could soar nearer 30C. 

“In the south and east, we are even approaching the 30C mark,” said Leyser. However, the weather will remain “susceptible to disruption”, said Leyser, especially in the west where there is a risk of isolated and sometimes severe thunderstorms.

READ ALSO: What to do on May 1st in Germany

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