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WEATHER

‘Tornadoes possible’: Severe storms expected across Germany

Thunderstorms, severe rain and wind are expected to plague Euro 2024 fans and festival goers alike in some parts of Germany on Friday.

Published: 21 June 2024 10:08 CEST
storm over Leipzig arena
A storm gathers over the Leipzig Arena ahead of Friday's game. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jan Woitas

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, large hailstones and hurricane gusts are to be expected on Friday, especially in southern and eastern Germany.

Even though the worst of the weather is expected in these regions, forecasters said there may also be storms and strong winds in the west and north of the country.

The DWD warned of thunderstorms affecting the entire eastern half of Germany on Friday afternoon – in eastern Bavaria, Saxony and Brandenburg as far as Berlin.

“The potential for the formation of supercells is high in these areas,” said DWD meteorologist Felix Dietzsch in a statement. A supercell is a type of thunderstorm characterised by the presence of a mesocyclone, or a cloud formation that has a rotating updraft. 

The DWD added that tornadoes are a possibility in eastern regions. 

Additionally, heavy rain with up to 40 litres per square meter are expected in some locations.

The thunderstorms are forecast to move eastwards during the night.

Going into the weekend, the weather is expected to calm down.

Further thunderstorms are possible in the southwest on Saturday, but they are expected to be less severe.

Next week, a longer high-pressure phase will likely bring calm summer weather for the start of the season, with temperatures between 25 and 30 C.

Euro 2024 games and festivals affected

Thunderstorms on Friday afternoon and evening will make watching Friday’s Euro 2024 games uncomfortable in some places.

The Netherlands and France are scheduled to play in Leipzig at 9 pm. The fan zone there, which was temporarily closed on Tuesday due to impending storms, will remain closed on Friday. Fan zones will also remain closed in some other states as a precaution.

Rainy weather may also impact Slovakia and Ukraine’s match in Düsseldorf at 3 pm, and it could hit Poland and Austria’s match in Berlin at 6 pm.

A number of music festivals will also be affected by the weather.

The Hurricane Festival in Lower Saxony and Southside in Baden-Württemberg are both scheduled to begin on Friday, and are each expecting more than 60,000 attendees.

In Saxony-Anhalt, which could be particularly affected by the storms, the Full Force festival also starts on Friday.

Fête de la Musique is also scheduled for Friday at 140 locations across Germany. In Berlin alone 250 concerts are planned across the city from 4-10 pm.

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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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