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STORM

Stormy weather continues across Germany

Sabine has left its mark on Germany. But there's little relief as stormy weather is continuing.

Stormy weather continues across Germany
A commuter battles through the rain early on Tuesday morning in Stuttgart. Photo: DPA

Although it's not as extreme as the previous days, there's still a lot of wind and rain to contend with across the country on Tuesday.

In the southern part of Germany, police reported a large number of fallen trees through Monday night and in the early hours of Tuesday.

Emergency services were called out several times in the Freiburg and the upper Black Forest region. Many roads were closed.

READ ALSO: Major disruption as storm Sabine wreacks havoc across Germany

In southern Bavaria, too, trees lying on roads and power failures affected residents.

In the north it was slightly calmer although there was still some disruption.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate the storm, dubbed Sabine in Germany but known in other European countries as Ciara, caused trees to fall, and some smaller roads were still closed.

Overall, however, the situation has improved compared to Monday morning.

IN PICTURES: Winds up to 170km/h recorded as storms batter Germany

Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced it planned to resume intercity rail traffic on Tuesday morning without major restrictions – but some problems could not be avoided.

During the night, a DB spokesman said that there would be disruption to some regional traffic, especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Trees also fell again on Hesse railway lines during the night so disruption is to be expected there.

The German Weather Service (DWD) expects the next few days to be stormy. On Tuesday, showers as well as strong gusts of wind are forecast. In the foothills of the Alps and in high altitudes, gale-force gusts are possible.

Meanwhile, the North Sea coast was preparing for storm surges and possible flooding.

Storm Sabine wreaks havoc

On Sunday and Monday, many people were injured in storm-related incidents – a total of 13 were injured in the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone, according to the state interior ministry.

Other states were also affected. Two women were badly hurt by a falling tree in Saarbrücken on the French border, with one of them receiving life-threatening injuries, police said.

Further north in Paderborn, a 16-year-old boy was hit on the head by a falling branch.

There was also major traffic disruption.

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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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