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WEATHER

More thunderstorms predicted to soak southern and western regions

After violent storms raged through southern Germany, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia on Thursday, more thunderstorms are predicted to arrive on Friday.

Published: 8 June 2018 11:30 CEST
More thunderstorms predicted to soak southern and western regions
Pedestrians caught in the rain in Essen on Thursday. Photo: DPA

Following flooded streets and basements and flight cancellations in Stuttgart and Frankfurt due to the extreme weather, meteorologists at the German Weather Service (DWD) have forecast heavy rain to hit again from noon onwards.

“From midday in the south, middle and some western parts of Germany, there’s a danger of local thunderstorms and lightning,” the DWD reported on Friday.

In a short time, between 25 and 40 litres of rain per square metre could fall and some areas could see up to 60 litres per square metre, according to the DWD. There’s also the danger of hail and strong winds of up to 75 kilometres per hour.

While the thunderstorms are predicted to cease in the evening on Friday and into Saturday, the stormy weather could continue for parts of the deep south.

But the north and east of the country will largely be free of thunderstorms on Friday due to warm and dry air, the DWD added.

By the evening on Thursday the strong storms had for the most part ceased in regions across Germany.

Prior to that though flight cancellations took place at two German airports.

Check-in at Stuttgart airport was closed for hours on Thursday evening due to the violent storms. 

“Within a very short time, streets, cellars and underpasses were flooded in Stuttgart,” said a spokesman for the city’s police headquarters on Friday morning. In Reutlingen, Esslingen and Mannheim, local fire brigades were called out numerous times due to reports of flooded cellars and streets. 

Since the Rhine region in Hesse was also affected by the storms, no planes were able to take off and land at Frankfurt Airport in the evening. According to airport operator Fraport, about 180 flights were cancelled.

A Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said that some of the tracks in the underground area of Frankfurt's main station had to be closed due to flooding. Three out of four S-Bahn lines in the central station had to be temporarily closed.

Further regions and cities affected by Thursday's thunderstorms include the Sauerland, Ruhr and Rhineland regions in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as Munich and the Upper Bavarian and Upper Franconian regions in Bavaria.

SEE ALSO: Thunderstorms to bring rare ‘blood rain’ to Germany

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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.

Published: 28 June 2024 11:11 CEST
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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