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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: Torrential rain and flooding leaves trail of destruction across western Germany

Severe flooding has left dozens of people dead and many missing in communities across western Germany.

Published: 15 July 2021 11:09 CEST
IN PICTURES: Torrential rain and flooding leaves trail of destruction across western Germany
A drone shows the devastation caused by the flooding of the Ahr river in the Eifel area, Rhineland-Palatinate. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Christoph Reichwein

The states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have been worst hit by the storms which have caused rivers to burst their banks and threatened to bring down further homes.

LATEST: Storms leave several dead and many missing in western Germany

As these dramatic pictures and tweets show, the extreme weather is heavily affecting towns and villages across the region.

It’s leading to calls from some for urgent action against climate change. 

A drone shot (below) captures the flooding in Schuld on Thursday, Rhineland-Palatinate. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Christoph Reichwein

Rescue workers survey the flooded streets in Solingen, NRW, on Thursday morning. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Gianni Gattus

A car submerged in water in Solingen, NRW. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Gianni Gattus

Another car buried by debris in Hagen, NRW, on Thursday. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

A person standing on scaffolding in Solingen, NRW, on Thursday morning in a flooded street. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Gianni Gattus

A resident in Hagen, NRW, looks at the damage caused by the severe floods. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

The Bundeswehr (German army) has been called in to assist with the rescue. The picture below shows the army in Hagen, NRW.

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

A fire and rescue employee walking on a flooded street in Kordel, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the middle of the night on Wednesday. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Harald Tittel

Are you affected by the floods? Let us know by emailing [email protected]

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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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