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WEATHER

WEATHER: German flood zones at risk of further storms

Just a week after floods devastated several regions in western Germany, meteorologists are warning of further heavy rain and thunderstorms that could strike over the weekend.

Published: 22 July 2021 11:31 CEST
Updated: 22 July 2021 13:16 CEST
WEATHER: German flood zones at risk of further storms
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate could see further heavy rain over the weekend. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Frey

Some regions could be hit by further heavy rainfall, said a meteorologist from the German Weather Service (DWD) on Thursday – though experts are still unsure where exactly these showers could strike.

As helpers and residents continue to clear up the wreckage left by last week’s storms, Rhineland-Palatinate – one of the areas worst affected by the floods – is bracing itself for further thunderstorms and rain showers over the weekend, along with neighbouring Saarland. 

READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Why Germany faces tough questions over its disaster response

After a few days of sunshine, storms and heavy rain are also likely to threaten parts of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) on Saturday and Sunday, according to DWD. 

The rainclouds are forecast to arrive in Rhineland-Palatinate on Saturday, with localised rain-showers at noon that will spread across the region in the afternoon.

Local thunderstorms are also likely to appear on Sunday during the day, the meteorologists said.

On Friday, North Rhine-Westphalia is set to see a continuation of this week’s warm and sunny weather, with storm clouds gathering on Saturday.

The Eifel region, which was ravaged by flash floods on the 14th and 15th of July, will be the first area to be affected by the thunderstorms. These will spread across the state on both Saturday and Sunday. 

‘No all-clear’ for more extreme weather

On Thursday, the DWD spoke of the previous week’s catastrophe as an “event of the century”.

According to climate experts, an unusually large number of stations in the west all simultaneously broke weather records due to the sheer amount of rainfall. Within a few hours or days, regions experienced an average of 1.5 times the entire average rainfall for the whole of July. 

According to existing weather records, the most intense and heavy rainfall usually occurs between May and September in Germany – meaning it could still be too early to give the all-clear.

“It can be assumed that there will be more extreme weather events in 2021,” DWD confirmed.

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FLOODS

Floods easing in Germany’s Saarland but situation remains serious

Enormous amounts of rain in Saarland and neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate on Friday and Saturday night caused flooding and landslides, but water levels were slowly retreating on Sunday making the extent of the damage more visible.

Published: 19 May 2024 14:04 CEST
Floods easing in Germany's Saarland but situation remains serious

“The flood situation is continuing to ease,” the Saarland Ministry of the Interior said in a post on Facebook on Saturday night, adding that there were still a few focal points where emergency forces were still working. 

“It is simply too early for both clean-up work and assessments of the damage,” a spokeswoman for the Trier-Saarburg district told German news agency DPA. Drones have now been requested to get an overview of the extent of the damage from above.

The Saarland state capital Saarbrücken, the disaster control authority, has lifted the emergency situation put in place in response to the severe floods. Urgent rescue and safety measures have been completed and the water levels have continued to decline, the city’s press office said on Saturday evening.

But the damage caused by the rain and subsequent flooding was extensive.

In the state capital Saarbrücken, the city motorway was under water and had to be closed, a coal-fired power plant in Saarland was also flooded, and several people across the state had to be evacuated. In Rußhütte, a district of Saarbrücken, evacuees were brought to safety by amphibious vehicles and boats. 

READ ALSO: Germany cleans up after massive flooding in state of Saarland

There was also flooding in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate – cellars and streets both there and in Saarland were flooded and many smaller streams and rivers burst their banks.

Rail traffic also came to a temporary standstill, but resumed on Saturday and most of the closed roads have also reopened.

Despite the enormous volumes of water – the weather service measured more than 100 litres of rain per square meter in less than 24 hours in some places – there were no deaths and very few injuries.

“There are currently reports of one injured person,” said the spokesman. They had an accident during a rescue operation and had to be resuscitated. “The person is being treated in hospital; reports on their status are currently unknown.”

On Saturday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger visited the area. Wearing Wellington boots, the two SPD politicians spoke to those affected, including in the village of Kleinblittersdorf.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) meanwhile promised help: “The government is supporting Saarland in particular with strong forces to protect human lives after the severe floods and limit the destruction caused by the water as far as possible,” she said.

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