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STORM

Icy Autobahn causes spate of crashes across Germany

Stormy weather has been causing major problems in Germany this week. And now slippery conditions on the road network are resulting in more misery.

Published: 12 February 2020 09:10 CET
Icy Autobahn causes spate of crashes across Germany
A police car on the closed Autobahn 45 near Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Photo: DPA

Black ice resulted in several accidents and part of the Autobahn being closed on Tuesday night. Drivers have been urged to drive with caution.

In Baden-Württemberg, three people were seriously injured in a collision involving two cars. One of the cars drove into the opposite lane because of the road conditions, according to police.

In the north-east of Bavaria, several highways (A9, A72, A93) were affected by slippery roads and there were a spate of crashes.  In addition, several vehicles broke down in the hazardous conditions. Nobody was seriously injured.

In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), part of the Autobahn 45 near Siegen, had to be completely closed for several hours during the early hours of Wednesday.

As the slippery conditions happened so quickly, trucks became stuck on uphill roads, and other vehicles were unable to move forward, police reported. There were also several accidents in NRW although nobody was seriously injured.

In Schleswig-Holstein several accidents occurred on Autobahn 7 and Autobahn 23 north of Hamburg. Most resulted in damage to cars and there were no reports of serious injuries. Police said conditions were made worse due to heavy rain. 

A week of stormy weather

It comes after Germany – and other parts of Europe – was battered by storm Sabine at the start of the week.

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Insurance broker Aon estimated that damages in Germany would total between €500 to €700 million. On Tuesday many places in Germany remained stormy.

According to Deutsche Bahn, trains are on the whole running again without problems, however there is still some disruption. In Baden-Württemberg some railway lines are still closed and in Bavaria the Werdenfelsbahn remains at a standstill.

The German Weather Service (DWD) expects windy and stormy weather to continue on Wednesday. In addition, more rain, snow and sleet showers are expected. In the evening the wind will likely decrease.

Vocabulary

Black ice – (das) Glatteis

Accident – (der) Unfall

Car body damage/fender bender – (der) Blechschaden

Stormy weather – stürmisches Wetter

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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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.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
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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