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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: Snow and storms hit Germany

With snow covering areas of southern Germany, and torrential rain and hailstone storms hitting other parts, we brought together pictures showing how the weather is affecting the country.

IN PICTURES: Snow and storms hit Germany
Firefighters shovel snow from the roof of a house in Buchenhöle, Bavaria near the border of Austria. Photo: DPA

Snowfall has hit southern Germany as well as Austria, causing chaos on the transport network as well as shutting some schools and leaving residents unable to leave their homes. At the same time stormy weather, including gale-force winds and flooding has battered other parts of the country.

The snow has caused blocked roads, cut-off districts and resulted in immense avalanche danger in many places. In the Bavarian Alps, the authorities have declared the second highest avalanche warning level.

Meanwhile, in Austria, the danger of avalanches has also intensified during the course of Wednesday, DPA reported.

Also on Wednesday, an avalanche partially buried a road in Berchtesgaden in the southern Bavarian region.

Rescue workers said nobody had been harmed. Near Berchtesgaden, authorities said about 350 people were trapped and had to be supplied with food by trucks. The only road to the Buchenhöhe district near the Obersalzberg is closed until further notice, said a spokesman for the Berchtesgadener Land District Office.

In the morning, work had begun to clear the route.

People in the Upper Bavarian community of Jachenau near Bad Tölz are also dependent on food supplies because the access road is closed. Residents and rescue workers can only reach the village via a small forest road.

And it looks like the situation will continue as even more snow is expected. According to the German Weather Service, snow will continue to fall until at least the middle of next week, especially in the Alpine region – with only minor interruptions. A current storm warning due to heavy snowfall is in place until Friday.

From the Black Forest and Bavaria to Bremen, here's a round-up of some of the images that have captured the unpredictable weather situation.

Snow lies on a train at the station in Berechtesgaden, Bavaria on Thursday. Photo: DPA

A snow-covered car at the car park of a supermarket on Thursday in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria. Photo: DPA

An athlete trains in the snow-covered Thuringian Forest on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

'No trains' sign on a passenger information board at Miesbach station, Bavaria on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

A snow plough drives past trees during heavy snowstorms on Wednesday in the Hinterzarten area of the Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg. Photo: DPA

SEE ALSO: Germany on alert as snowfall and storms batter the country

A snow plough drives through the city centre of Miesbach in Bavaria next to piled up snow on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

The German Weather Service said fresh snow was possible in the coming days, particularly in the south of Germany and Austria, but perhaps also in other parts of the country.

Hamburg's famous fish market was hit with flooding on Tuesday due to the overflowing river Elbe during the storm dubbed 'Benjamin'. Photo: DPA


Water splashes over the quay wall in Bremen as storm Benjamin raged on the German coasts. Photo: DPA

The forest on Fichtelberg, Saxony, was covered in deep snow Tuesday. The storm also brought persistent snowfall among other things to the Erzgebirge mountain range. Photo: DPA


A dog jumps next to children as they sledge in the snow in Unlingen-Möhringen, Baden-Württemberg on Saturday. Lots of schools are still closed in Bavaria due to the extreme weather. Photo: DPA

The water of the river Trave was very high at the old storehouses near the Holstentor in Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

Three winter road clearance vehicles in operation on the Autobahn 9 in Garching, Bavaria on Wednesday, while warning signs above the A9 warn of icy conditions. Photo: DPA

A pedestrian with an umbrella is caught by a gust of wind in Hannover, Lower Saxony. Photo: DPA

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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.

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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