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WEATHER

Extreme weather advisory as thunderstorms to hit southern Germany

After strong storms caused streets and cellars to flood in Lower Saxony and Hesse on Sunday, German meteorologists have warned of an extreme weather watch as more thunderstorms and heavy rain are predicted for the southwest of the country on Monday.

Extreme weather advisory as thunderstorms to hit southern Germany
A flooded street in Hesse on Sunday. Photo: DPA

Around noon, the storm from the northeast will start making its way down to the southwest toward Baden-Württemberg, bringing with it hail and heavy rain throughout the day and into the evening, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

Rain will continuously fall in the Alps and at the western edge of the mountainous range, while temperatures will hover between 15C and 25C.

Meanwhile the north and the centre of the country will be sunny and dry on Monday, with temperatures climbing to summer-like highs of between 25C and 29C in some areas.

Localized thunderstorms are predicted for the rest of the week at least until Thursday, reports the DWD.

Due to the severe weather on Sunday, the emergency services were out on dozens of calls in cities and towns across Lower Saxony and Hesse.

In Osnabrück, basements filled up with water and street were flooded. The rail route between Osnabrück and Oldenburg was temporarily closed down due to fallen trees on the tracks.

The third day of a music festival in the town of Aurich was moreover cancelled due to the bad weather. According to a police spokeswoman, 5,000 visitors left the site within an hour due to the area being completely full of water.

Lightning, thunder and heavy rain also meant that firefighters had their work cut out. A lightning strike is likely what caused a house in Wirdum, East Frisia to catch fire. The family of four living inside were able to escape unharmed, though firefighters spent three hours putting out the flames.

In Hesse, rescue workers in the Vogelsberg district near Fulda were busy dealing with flooded roads and cellars as well as mud slipping down hillsides.

There were no casualties after a car was carried away by floods and thrown against the wall of a house in Feldatal.

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WEATHER

More disruption expected as severe storms lash Germany

From travel disruption due to flooding to lightning and extreme heat, Germany is being hit by a series of summer storms - with more expected this weekend.

More disruption expected as severe storms lash Germany

The weather in Germany so far this June has been extreme. 

And that trend is expected to continue this weekend as more heavy storms – and even the possibility of tornadoes – are expected. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of a tornado risk in southern and northern Baden on Saturday evening. Temperatures could reach up to 35C in this region in the run up to forecasted storms.  

According to a DWD spokesperson on Friday, extreme thunderstorms are expected to move in this direction from France. They are forecast to bring hailstones up to five centimetres in size, gale-force gusts and heavy rainfall of 30 to 50 litres per square metre in just a few hours.

People heading to fan zones for Euro 2024 across the country are being urged to check before traveling, in case areas are closed due to the weather. 

Travel disruption, lightning strikes and flooding

Storms on Thursday night already caused problems across the country. 

From Bavaria to Hamburg, and North-Rhine Westphalia to Thuringia – there was heavy rainfall as well as thunder and lightning. 

The railway line between Bremen and Hamburg was closed for several hours. According to Deutsche Bahn, long-distance trains were diverted via Hanover and several regional trains were cancelled. The line has since been reopened, at least to a limited extent, but delays should still be expected.

Stormy weather in Pförring, Bavaria on Thursday.

Stormy weather in Pförring, Bavaria on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/NEWS5 | Ferdinand Merzbac

Long-distance trains are being diverted via Hanover without stopping. “Some IC/ICE trains are cancelled between Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Deutsche Bahn. 

According to Hamburg fire and rescue teams, there were more than 700 call-outs by early evening. In addition to flooding, emergency services had to deal with uprooted trees and fallen branches.

READ ALSO: Germany braces for heat, humidity and thunderstorms

Streets were also submerged in water. 

The DWD on Thursday issued severe weather warnings, including for lightning strikes. In Gernrode in Saxony-Anhalt, a lightning strike destroyed the chimney of a detached house, while in Unterpörlitz in Thuringia a roof truss caught fire after being struck by lightning.

Up to 100 litres of rain per square metre fell within a short time during a heavy storm in Detmold in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to a statement from the city, a thunderstorm cell unloaded with tremendous force over the north-east of the city.

In comparison: in North Rhine-Westphalia, there was an average of 91 litres of rain per square metre in the entire month of April – and that was around 50 percent more precipitation than in average years. Nobody was reported harmed in the storm.

In Dresden two supermarket employees were reportedly taken to hospital after a lightning strike hit a store in the Klotzsche district. The woman and man, both 50-years-old, complained of headaches, malaise and nausea, the fire and rescue service said. The store was evacuated. 

The storm in Dresden flooded streets and brought down trees. As well as Klotzche, the districts of, Hellerau, Wilschdorf and Löbtau were particularly affected. 

Heavy thunderstorms also kept firefighters busy in parts of Thuringia, where roads were closed. In Gerthausen in south-west Thuringia, the fire brigade was also deployed to pump water out of cellars.

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