Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WEATHER

Trains in northern Germany cancelled over storm

Several train services in the northern half of the country are being cancelled due to severe weather warnings.

Published: 18 February 2022 16:51 CET
A sign on a train in Dortmund says 'do not board'. Lots of services have been cancelled due to the storm.
A sign on a train in Dortmund says 'do not board'. Lots of services have been cancelled due to the storm. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Thissen

After storm Ylenia hit the country on Wednesday night and Thursday, a new weather front called Zeynep is expected on Friday afternoon, bringing with it extreme winds and lots of rain.

And it’s having an impact on travel. 

Deutsche Bahn said on Friday that several regional and long-distance services in the northern half of the country were being suspended.

The suspension of regional services affects Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Bremen, as well as parts of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The cancellations will take place gradually “during the course of the day”, the spokesperson said. In North Rhine-Westphalia, this was to begin on some lines from 2pm.

READ ALSO: Germany issues extreme weather warning for next storm

In the long-distance network, connections from Hamburg in the direction of Berlin, Hanover and Cologne are affected. ICE and IC services on the east-west route between Cologne via Hanover to Berlin were also suspended on Friday. 

Deutsche Bahn said there would be “no more long-distance trains north of Dortmund, Hanover and Berlin”.

Meanwhile, ICE and IC trains between Frankfurt(Main) or Berlin and Amsterdam have been cancelled throughout the day.

Free cancellation of tickets

The Deutsche Bahn spokesperson told Germany’s Tagesschau that the cancellations are due to “severe” storm warnings.

The rail operator is strongly advising that passengers postpone their journeys and rebook. Passengers can use their tickets booked for the period from Thursday to Sunday flexibly until February 27th, or cancel them free of charge if they postpone journeys because of the storm.

If that isn’t possible, passengers have been strongly advised to stay informed about the current storm and possibility of delays and cancellations.

Gusts of up to 160 km/h are predicted in some parts of northern Germany. 

Forecasters at the German Weather Service (DWD) predict storm Zeynep will affect the northern half and centre of Germany from Friday afternoon until early Saturday morning.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

WEATHER

Severe weather warnings issued as Germany braces for more storms

Extreme weather warnings for heavy rainfall remain in place in parts of Germany on Friday following flooding in the south. There is also a chance of thunderstorms at the weekend.

Published: 17 May 2024 10:37 CEST
Severe weather warnings issued as Germany braces for more storms

Severe weather is expected in the southwest of the country on Friday, with the heaviest rain expected in Saarbrücken, as well as the surrounding areas of Saarland and southern Rhineland-Palatinate.

In these areas Germany’s weather service (DWD) has level 4 warnings in place – meaning that the rain is expected to be extremely heavy (more than 40 litres per square metre in an hour, or 60 litres per square metre in 6 hours).

Slightly less severe, but still heavy continuous rain can also be expected in the surrounding regions, extending as far as Stuttgart and Mainz.

Speaking to Bild newspaper, Climatologist Dr. Karsten Brandt suggested that the heavy precipitation and thunderstorms will continue to move northwest, even into southern North-Rhine Westphalia (Aachen).

There are also wind warnings in parts of the country, with squalls expected on the Brocken and the Fichtelberg mountains, as well as in the Black Forest and in the Alps.

Currently, the highest wind warnings are in Dresden and southern Bavaria near the Alps.

Friday’s weather warnings come in the wake of chaotic weather that flooded Nuremberg and parts of Bavaria Thursday night, where many roads flooded. Cars were submerged in water and bus routes were cancelled.

A number of household cellars also flooded as well as a large underground car park at the Technical University.

READ ALSO: Record heat deaths and floods – How Germany is being hit by climate change

What will the weekend bring?

Beyond the area of severe weather warnings but not beyond the reach of the storm, Cologne will have some rain on Friday which may continue on through the weekend.

Germany’s northern and eastern regions have dodged the recent bout of storms so far, but in Berlin scattered thunderstorms can be expected to move in by Sunday afternoon. This may put a dampener on the Karneval der Kulturen parade. 

In Bremen and Hamburg, residents can expect some rain showers on Sunday and Monday, with a chance of thunderstorms as well.

In Munich and Nuremberg, it looks as if the worst is over. Some small showers may continue into Saturday, but Bavarian residents can look forward to a sunny Sunday ahead of the public holiday on Monday for Pentecost. 

READ ALSO:

SHOW COMMENTS