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WEATHER

Heavy snow paralyses parts of southern Germany

Heavy snowfall brought chaos to parts of southern Germany on Saturday, with air and rail traffic blocked in the Bavarian state capital of Munich.

Published: 2 December 2023 13:48 CET
Heavy snow paralyses parts of southern Germany
A display reading "Stadium is closed" is seen in Munich on December 2nd 2023. Photo: Alexandra Beier/AFP.

After first suspending flights until noon Saturday (1100 GMT), Munich airport later said it would remain closed until 6:00 am (0500 GMT) on Sunday. In total, 760 flights were affected, a spokesperson told AFP.

More than 40 centimetres (16 inches) of snow fell overnight Friday to Saturday, according to weather services. Authorities asked residents to stay home for their safety.

The winter weather also disrupted train traffic, with rail operator Deutsche Bahn saying “The main Munich station cannot be served”. Deutsche Bahn said travellers should expect delays and cancellations throughout the region, and most buses, trams and suburban trains were not running in Munich.

Saturday’s planned football championship match between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin has been called off.

Police in Lower Bavaria said they made 350 interventions linked to the weather Friday night, with five people slightly injured in car accidents.   

Much of Germany has been subject to snow and freezing temperatures for several days.

According to weather forecasts, the largest quantities of snow are expected Saturday in Allgau in the south of Bavaria, with another 30 to 40 centimetres. The snowfall is expected to progressively ease in the afternoon.

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FLOODS

Germany battered by storms in wettest year on record

Thunderstorms brought severe rain and flooding to parts of Germany on Sunday. The German Weather Service says the country has had its wettest twelve-month period since measurements began.

Published: 22 July 2024 10:30 CEST
Germany battered by storms in wettest year on record

Parts of Germany were affected by deadly thunderstorms and severe rainfall on Sunday night.

At least one person has died and several others were injured by lightning strikes. Elsewhere heavy rain flooded cellars and streets and downed trees. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) lifted all severe weather warnings during the night, but new thunderstorms in the southeast, east and northeast are expected in the course of the day on Monday. 

This latest storm comes at the end of a exceptionally wet 12 month period which has seen a high number of thunderstorms and flood events across the country.

Deadly lightning strikes and severe storms on Sunday night

According to police, an 18-year-old died on the Zugspitze after a lightning strike. He had travelled with two other men from North Rhine-Westphalia. 

Lightning struck near the summit several times while he was making the 80 metre walk from the summit to the mountain station. 

The man was fatally injured. A rescue helicopter could not immediately be dispatched due to the storm.

Lightning also struck a park in Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony, on Sunday, injuring eight members of a family that had been sitting under a tree. 

A 5-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl were resuscitated on Sunday and taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police. The rest of the family was also taken to hospitals, with less severe injuries.

In other parts of Germany, emergency rescue personnel worked through the night responding to calls about downed trees, flood hazards and related issues.

In Quickborn in Schleswig-Holstein the storm caused power outages and some people had been temporarily trapped by flood waters.

In Genthin in Saxony-Anhalt, cellars and garages flooded and streets were blocked by fallen trees.

In the Kassel district in Hesse, underpasses were flooded, and in Söhrewald, a house was destroyed by a falling tree.

A car stands in a flooded underpass. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Ralf Hettler | Ralf Hettler

READ ALSO: How changes to flood insurance could push up rates for homeowners in Germany

In Bremen the fire brigade was called more than 60 times, primarily to pump water out of flooded cellars.

Wettest 12 months on record

Germany has seen its fair share of flooded streets and cellars this year – far more than would typically be expected.

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), more precipitation fell between July 2023 to June 2024 than has ever been recorded in a 12 month span since records began in 1881.

During that time, around 1070 litres per square metre fell on average across Germany, according to DWD calculations. In comparison, the multi-year average value from 1961-1990 was around 789 litres per square metre per year.

READ ALSO: From swamp to sponge: Berlin harnesses rain to adapt to climate shift

DWD’s national climate archive shows that the past ten years have been marked by drought. 

However, Germany has seen a slight increase in annual precipitation on average over time since measurements began in 1881. 

According to the DWD, alternating dry and wet periods are to be expected. 

Dr. Frank Kaspar, Head of Hydrometeorology at the DWD said, “Precipitation is characterised by a high degree of variability both from year to year and over longer periods of time.” 

Germany has experienced a dry phase for several of the previous years, which has since given way to a very wet 12-month phase.

Climate scientists suggest that extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, are becoming more frequent and more severe worldwide due to the effects of human-caused climate change.

READ ALSO: Why are Last Generation activists in Germany getting prison sentences?

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