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Roads, railways and homes flooded as heavy rain hits Germany

Torrential rain mixed with strong winds is causing major problems in southern and western Germany.

Roads, railways and homes flooded as heavy rain hits Germany
Water floods the village of Aach in Rhineland-Palatinate on Tuesday. Photo: DPA

In Bavaria, hurricane-like gusts and heavy continuous rain are disrupting the public transport system.

Munich's S-Bahn services on lines S1 and S2 were partially closed on Tuesday morning due to trees falling onto the overhead lines, a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn said.

West of Augsburg, two rivers burst their banks and flooded streets. According to police, seven people have been injured in the stormy weather since Monday lunchtime.

The German Weather Service (DWD) had issued severe weather warnings for southern parts of Germany on Monday night.

Rescue operations

Heavy rain has also triggered numerous rescue operations in the south-west of the country.

The town centre of the community of Aach near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, was flooded during the night.

In the Oberemmel district of Konzer a river overflowed its banks, which resulted in people becoming trapped in their homes due to the build up of water. The fire and rescue service managed to free the affected residents in the middle of the night.

In several places across the district, emergency services had to shut off flooded roads. A total of 440 forces were deployed. Meanwhile, the railway line between Perl and Trier was closed on Tuesday morning.

READ ALSO: Fact check – is winter actually coming to Germany this year?

Deutsche Bahn issued a tweet urging customers to check for delays and cancellations due to the stormy weather.


Heavy rain in Munich on Tuesday morning. Photo: DPA

After heavy rainfall, water levels along the Moselle river are rising sharply. Early on Tuesday morning, the water level in Trier was over 8.40 meters according to the Flood Reporting Centre, and it was still rising. The normal water level is about 3.25 meters.

It's due to heavy rainfall coming from the Vosges mountains in France, where the Moselle river begins. The Moselle flows into the Rhine near Koblenz.

In Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, police closed the city highway early this morning.

Fallen trees in Baden-Württemberg

Hurricane-like gusts and heavy continuous rain also led to numerous police and fire department operations in parts of Baden-Württemberg.

In Stetten am kalten Markt near Sigmaringen, a tree fell on an apartment building, punctured the roof and damaged three cars. According to police, the damage amounts to around €60,000. No injuries have been reported.

Fire and rescue services as well as police were called out to operations in Freiburg and the surrounding area dozens of times. 

On Tuesday police tweeted: “The storm is keeping emergency services on tenterhooks. Throughout the area, fallen trees are causing danger in road traffic – we ask for special caution and consideration. Please avoid the dams of major rivers in our area.”

READ ALSO: Nine ways to get through winter the German way

Rain to continue

In the Waldshut district in the south of the state, the emergency services were also busy. Strong winds damaged houses and toppled trees as well as fences. 

Police in Karlsruhe reported that trees had fallen, while smaller streets and cellars were flooded. In Stuttgart, a tree fell on a car. According to police, there have been no injuries.

Until at least Tuesday lunchtime, the DWD expected heavy continuous rain in the region. In the Black Forest, around 120 liters per square meter and 150 liters in congested areas is said to have fallen within 72 hours.

The DWD also warned against stormy gusts with speeds between 50 and 70 kilometres per hour.

There's also been some snow.


Snow in Thuringia on Tuesday. Photo: DPA

In the Ore Mountains and the Thuringian Forest area, snow fell during the night. In mountainous regions in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the snow is also expected to stay on the ground, according to the DWD.

“Care is also required on the roads there,” said the DWD.

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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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