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‘First taste of autumn’ as cold front hits Germany at the weekend

The long, hot summer will finally come to an end this weekend, with temperatures set to drop to below 20 degrees in some areas. But the hot weather is going to go out on a high.

Published: 21 August 2018 14:31 CEST

'First taste of autumn' as cold front hits Germany at the weekend

Photo: DPA

In the next few days, it will still feel like a summer that is never going to end, with highs of up to 35 degrees in some areas of Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) reports.

The DWD has issued heat warnings for large areas of Baden-Württemberg this week, and warns that the Black Forest and the Alps may also be hit by storms and heavy rains.

Temperatures will be cooler on the northern coastal areas, but it will stay sweltering across vast swathes of the country until Thursday.

Come Friday, though, everything will change. A cold front coming in from the North Sea will see temperatures drop to as low as 18 degrees on the north coast, and to around 20 inland.

Even in the southeast, where it will be warmest, the thermometer will reach highs of only 26 degrees at the weekend, practically chilly in comparison to Thursday.

Wetter.de described the coming days as “the last time the high summer will rear its head” before a cooler weekend “will give us the first taste of autumn.”

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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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