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WEATHER

Dozens hurt in accidents as winter returns

Slush and ice caused accidents that injured dozens of people across Germany on Wednesday, authorities reported. Meanwhile more snow is expected to accompany a cold front from the west, the German Weather Service (DWD).

Published: 26 January 2011 11:03 CET
Dozens hurt in accidents as winter returns
An accident in northern Hesse on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

In the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, a bakery delivery truck spun out of control and hit a snowplough head-on, severely injuring the driver.

A 71-year-old pedestrian in the neighbouring state of Bavaria was hit by a sliding van in Hof, suffering life-threatening head injuries. Police said the driver of the vehicle was unable to stop in time due to treacherous road conditions.

Meanwhile on the A71 motorway in Bavaria, police reported six auto accidents involving a total of 20 vehicles along a stretch of road just a few hundred metres long. Twelve people were injured, with five hospitalized, among them a five-year-old child.

Winter weather also caused an accident between a train and a tractor trailer truck in Bavaria’s Upper Palatinate region. The collision injured the train driver and one of his 30 passengers, along with the truck driver.

In the central German state of Saxony, police reported an accident along the A72 where a car rolled after hitting another vehicle, then landed on another. The 24-year-old driver sustained severe injuries, they said.

In Hesse, a 35-year-old driver was also severely injured when he lost control of his car and landed in a ditch, hitting a drain pipe.

Police estimated that accidents had caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage by mid-morning.

A cold front blowing over Germany from Ireland is expected to bring chilly temperatures and snow to southern and eastern Germany in the coming days. Areas above between 200 and 400 metres in altitude should expect “light to moderate” accumulation and slippery road conditions, DWD meteorologist Thomas Ruppert said.

High temperatures for Wednesday will range between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius, with scattered snow showers set to continue overnight as temperatures drop to between -2 and -9 degrees.

Eastern Germany and southern mid-range mountains will see more snow on Thursday, which will be slightly colder at between -2 and 2 degrees.

Snowflakes are likely to fall again on Friday when chilly temperatures will prevail, dropping as low as -15 overnight.

But by Saturday conditions are likely to improve, Ruppert said, with just a few snowflakes and partly cloudy conditions.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

DPA/The Local/ka

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FLOODS

German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

Water levels on the Elbe and Oder rivers in Germany are rising, sparking preparations for floods as the clean-up across central Europe gets underway.

Published: 19 September 2024 10:12 CEST
German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

As several countries in Europe face the devastating aftermath of severe flooding following torrential rain, communities in some regions of Germany are trying to manage rising water levels. 

According to a forecast by the state flood centre, the water on the Elbe river has not yet reached expected peaks. In the city of Dresden, the Elbe rose above the six-metre mark on Wednesday. There, as well as in Schöna on the border with the Czech Republic, the flood peak is expected on Thursday.

There is a cautious all-clear along other rivers in the east and south of Germany. Further north, however, Brandenburg is looking anxiously at the Oder river, which is expected to bring more water in the coming days.

READ ALSO: Parts of Germany hit by flooding as torrential rain wreaks havoc across central Europe

Flood crisis teams are due to meet in Frankfurt (Oder), located at the border with Poland, and other municipalities in Brandenburg on Thursday. A level 1 flood alert was issued for sections of the river on Wednesday.

According to the State Office for the Environment, floodplains and meadows close to the banks are expected to start flooding, with the areas of the Oder village of Ratzdorf to Eisenhüttenstadt particularly affected.

The state office believes the highest alert level – level 4 – with a water level of around six metres will be reached in the next few days near Ratzdorf, where the Oder reaches Brandenburg territory.

Clean-up work underway in central and eastern Europe

In the flood-hit areas from Poland to the Czech Republic and Austria, the clean-up work has now begun, but the situation is only slowly easing.

In many places, the emergency services are still struggling with masses of water. Soldiers are also providing support in Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the authorities are not yet giving the all-clear. So far, more than 20 people have tragically lost their lives in the region due to the extreme weather.

In the Polish city of Wroclaw in the west of the country, the flood wave was not expected until Thursday night. As several tributaries that also carry a lot of water flow into the Oder between Olawa and Wroclaw, the possibility of flooding in the Lower Silesian metropolis cannot be ruled out, said an expert.

Flooding in Bresgau Poland

A drone captures the high water levels in Bresgau, Poland, on September 19th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/PAP | Maciej Kulczynski

Flood defences in Wroclaw have been reinforced as a precautionary measure. One third of the city of 630,000 inhabitants was flooded during the Oder flood in 1997.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Poland on Thursday afternoon. According to the EU Commission, the trip is being organised at the invitation of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are also expected to attend the meeting.

The talks are likely to focus on the question of funds from Brussels for reconstruction although the extent of the damage is still unclear.

With reporting from DPA

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