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WEATHER

Germany braces for blast of snow and freezing temperatures

An icy blast from the north is set to hit Germany at the weekend, bringing with it a fresh blanket of snow and temperatures in the minus double-digits.

Published: 4 January 2024 11:23 CET
Updated: 4 January 2024 17:55 CET
Snow in the Bavarian mountains
Snow in the popular Mittelgebirge region of Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

If you’ve already packed away your winter jacket for the year, get ready to dig it out again: Germany is set for a wintry blast of snow and ice that could see temperatures drop as low as -11C. 

After weeks of mild temperatures and torrential rainfall in northern and central Germany, icy winds entering from Scandinavia could cause temperatures to plummet for several days on end.

“We are facing an intrusion of polar air this weekend,” explained wetter.com meteorologist Georg Haas. “It will snow a lot in some regions and then get bitterly cold in Germany.”

According to experts, the fresh coating of snow won’t only arrive in the higher-altitude regions. In fact, from Brandenburg to Baden-Württemberg, people in the flatter landscapes should see at least a little bit of snowfall.

On Thursday morning, colder temperatures had already arrived in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, which have battling heavy rain and flooding in recent days.

By Friday, however, this heavy rain is set to turn to snowfall, particularly near the Danish border and along the Elbe.

Closer to the weekend, the frosty chill will move south through Germany and is likely to bring snowfall between Hamburg and Berlin. 

For residents of Berlin, as well as in western and central Germany, a mixture of heavy sleet, hail and snow will fall over the weekend.

READ ALSO: German flood-hit areas struggle with more rainfall

Temperatures will sway between highs of 3C and lows of -8C, so wrap up warm if you’re heading out and about. 

Once the polar blast moves the southern regions of the country on Saturday and Sunday, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria can expect to see the landscapes transformed into a winter wonderland.

Snow in Feldberg

A woman hikes through a snowy forest in Feldberg, Baden-Württemberg. Photo: Raja Sen/Unsplash

In Bavaria in particular, snowfall of between 20cm and 30cm is expected in the higher altitudes, but people in Munich will also see a smattering of white.

The picture is similar in Baden-Württemberg, where both the lowlands and the highlands will enjoy fresh snowfall over the weekend and into next week.

Though winter has returned to Germany suddenly, it’s unlikely to exit as quickly as it came: weather experts predict that the cold spell and minus-degree temperatures could remain for the coming weeks. 

Not all snow-lovers in Germany will see white flakes coating the ground this time around, unfortunately, but meteorologists say there could be even more coming around mid-January. 

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WEATHER

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Severe storms and heavy rain affected parts of Germany on Thursday, creating disruptions. More rain is forecast on Friday but weather warnings have been lifted.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Major storms hit western Germany on Thursday, causing travel disruption and flooding. 

In parts of Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded and rivers swelled. Bisingen, southwest of Tübingen, was particularly hard hit, with cellars and streets plunged under water.

Police said there was also traffic disruption. In Baden-Württemberg’s state capital Stuttgart, severe storms and lightning caused issues and some roads were closed.

A lightning strike in the Sigmaringen area resulted in a broken signal box on the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, no train journeys were possible in the region in the early evening with several delays and cancellations.

Other states were also affected.

There were around 300 relief operations in the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was hit by the 2021 deadly flood disaster.

Police said no-on was injured, although basements and streets were flooded. The water levels of the Ahr were being closely monitored.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Silas Stein

In Trier, too, streets were flooded after heavy rain and there were hailstorms. The Koblenz police headquarters reported fallen trees. Significant property damage due to full cellars and flooded streets was also reported in some areas. 

Heavy showers also fell in Hesse, accompanied by thunder storms. In Frankfurt, according to the fire department, the heavy rain caused water to enter the Bethanien Hospital and even reach the intensive care unit of the clinic.

“We were able to contain the damage relatively quickly and prevent it from spreading,” said fire department spokesman Thorben Schemmel, adding that no patients were affected.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel region was particularly affected, with reports of flooded streets after heavy rain and hailstorms.

North Rhine-Westphalia also saw storms late in the afternoon on Thursday. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expected some heavy rain and hail in parts of the country on Friday – particularly in the west – and at the weekend but warnings of severe weather have been lifted. 

The DWD said there could still be one or two strong thunderstorms in the northeast on Friday. However, it will be a significantly quieter day compared to Thursday. Temperatures of up to 25C can be expected.

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