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WEATHER

Germany braces for more torrential rain as some areas hit by severe flooding

Saxony, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia have all been struck by torrential downpour as the German Weather Service issued its highest possible warning. The heavy rain is expected to last until Friday.

Published: 14 July 2021 12:28 CEST
Germany braces for more torrential rain as some areas hit by severe flooding
Firefighters search for a missing man in Jöhstadt, Saxony. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Andre März

Germany was once against struck by flash floods on Tuesday evening as emergency services struggled to cope with overflowing cellars and flooded streets along both the eastern and western borders of the country. 

Earlier in the day, the German Weather Service (DWD) had issued its most severe weather warning possible between Eifel and the Mosel Valley in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate due to extremely heavy continuous rain.

READ ALSO: IN PICTURES: Devastating storm rips through southern and western Germany

Until Thursday morning, rainfall of 70 to 120 litres per square metre can be expected, DWD said on Wednesday morning.

“The risk of flooding is growing regionally,” they said.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, too, the fire brigade had to pump out numerous cellars that had been flooded during the storm. 

“The people are desperate,” the spokesman for the Hagen police headquarters told DPA. Muddy debris from landslides also washed onto roads from slopes and blocked off several routes between cities.

One resident of Nimmertal in the district of Hagen shared a video of a gushing stream: “That was once our driveway,” he said.

Man declared missing in Saxony 

The eastern state of Saxony also fell victim to thunderstorms and flash flooding overnight on Tuesday. In the town of Jöhstadt, near the Polish border, a man was swept away in the floods as he tried to secure his house against the overflowing river, DPA reported. 

His neighbours made several rescue attempts but were unable to help him. 

The eastern fire brigade called off the initial search during the night, local police told DPA. No further details were available at the time of writing. 

‘Disaster’ declared in Bavaria

Late on Tuesday evening, a disaster was declared in the Hof district in Bavaria because of the torrential downpour. The emergency services were so overwhelmed by calls that many people struggled to reach the emergency 112 number, the Bavarian Red Cross told DPA. 

More than 50 fire brigades with almost 1,000 people and 140 members of the Technical Relief Organization (THW) were called up throughout the night to pump water from cellars and to procure sandbags. The Bavarian city of Selbitz was particularly hard hit by the storm, with emergency services called out 120 times during the night.

Streets and cellars were flooded, trees fell, and in some cases the power went out. Fire detectors also sounded the alarm. The fire brigade and their helpers worked all night, said a spokesman for the Hof fire department told DPA in the morning.

READ ALSO: German phrase of the day: Als hätte der Himmel seine Schleusen geöffnet

The northern German states were spared the worst of the flooding, but in Berlin, one observer filmed a bolt of lightening as it struck the top of the TV tower during an overnight thunderstorm.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms until Friday

Though the situation has now calmed down, torrential rain is likely to continue, particularly across parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, until Thursday, the German Meteorological Service had announced the day before.

READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: What’s going on with Germany’s weather right now?

Meteorologists expect heavy rain and thunderstorms across the country until at least Friday.

Vocabulary

Flash flood – (die) Sturzflut

Heavy rain – (der) Starkregen

Rescue attempt – (der) Rettungsversuch 

Rescue teams – (die) Rettungskräfte

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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