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First snow of the season coats ski resort in south Germany

After some unseasonably pleasant weather last week, the first signs of the upcoming winter have arrived, as the maiden snowfall of the season has hit the Black forest.

Published: 23 October 2017 15:31 CEST

First snow of the season coats ski resort in south Germany

Feldberg. Source: DPA

Almost two months before the official start of winter, snow has reached Baden-Württemberg’s biggest ski resort of Feldberg in the Black Forest. This snowfall, according to the German Weather Service (DWD), is the first snowfall after summer.

The 1,493m tall peak is part of Germany's highest mountain range and was covered with a thin layer of snow on Monday, although not yet enough for anyone to go skiing or tobogganing on.

SEE ALSO: 6 odd ways Germans talk about the weather

Snow in this location isn't too unusual at this time of year.

In the rest of Germany, the weather remains very autumnal as the start of the week will be mostly cloudy and rainy.

The DWD forecasts thick clouds and patchy rain for Tuesday for most of the country, with some gaps in the cloud along the upper Rhine.

Temperatures will range from 10C to 17C at midday with lows of 8C in higher mountain ranges, according to DWD predictions.

The outlook from Wednesday to Friday. Source DWD

Wednesday will be slightly more pleasant but will start off rainy with thick cloud continuing. Temperatures should rise to 13C-18C, with highs of 20 degrees in the upper Rhine region and the cloud should disperse over the course of the day, allowing the sun to shine sporadically through.

Thursday will also be cloudy, but the clouds are set to disperse with temperatures from 13-20C, with higher temperatures being seen in the south of the country.

Try and make the most of the rays down south as Friday is supposed to be rather gloomy nationwide, as strong cloud spreads across Germany and rainfall well and truly sets in.

The DWD paints a similar picture for the weekend as the weather is expected to be volatile, with showers over both days. There will also be gusty and sometimes stormy winds coming in from the west.

There is also the possibility of a light frost as nighttime temperatures of between 7C and 2C are expected.

German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

As several countries in Europe face the devastating aftermath of severe flooding following torrential rain, communities in some regions of Germany are trying to manage rising water levels.

According to a forecast by the state flood centre, the water on the Elbe river has not yet reached expected peaks. In the city of Dresden, the Elbe rose above the six-metre mark on Wednesday. There, as well as in Schöna on the border with the Czech Republic, the flood peak is expected on Thursday.

There is a cautious all-clear along other rivers in the east and south of Germany. Further north, however, Brandenburg is looking anxiously at the Oder river, which is expected to bring more water in the coming days.

READ ALSO: Parts of Germany hit by flooding as torrential rain wreaks havoc across central Europe

Flood crisis teams are due to meet in Frankfurt (Oder), located at the border with Poland, and other municipalities in Brandenburg on Thursday. A level 1 flood alert was issued for sections of the river on Wednesday.

According to the State Office for the Environment, floodplains and meadows close to the banks are expected to start flooding, with the areas of the Oder village of Ratzdorf to Eisenhüttenstadt particularly affected.

The state office believes the highest alert level – level 4 – with a water level of around six metres will be reached in the next few days near Ratzdorf, where the Oder reaches Brandenburg territory.

Clean-up work underway in central and eastern Europe

In the flood-hit areas from Poland to the Czech Republic and Austria, the clean-up work has now begun, but the situation is only slowly easing.

In many places, the emergency services are still struggling with masses of water. Soldiers are also providing support in Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the authorities are not yet giving the all-clear. So far, more than 20 people have tragically lost their lives in the region due to the extreme weather.

In the Polish city of Wroclaw in the west of the country, the flood wave was not expected until Thursday night. As several tributaries that also carry a lot of water flow into the Oder between Olawa and Wroclaw, the possibility of flooding in the Lower Silesian metropolis cannot be ruled out, said an expert.

Flooding in Bresgau Poland

A drone captures the high water levels in Bresgau, Poland, on September 19th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/PAP | Maciej Kulczynski

Flood defences in Wroclaw have been reinforced as a precautionary measure. One third of the city of 630,000 inhabitants was flooded during the Oder flood in 1997.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Poland on Thursday afternoon. According to the EU Commission, the trip is being organised at the invitation of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are also expected to attend the meeting.

The talks are likely to focus on the question of funds from Brussels for reconstruction although the extent of the damage is still unclear.

With reporting from DPA

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