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WEATHER

Injuries at wedding as more storms hit Germany

Eight people were injured after a falling branch from a tree crashed onto guests at a wedding party during stormy weather in Germany.

Injuries at wedding as more storms hit Germany
A fallen tree in Brandenburg during Wednesday's storms. Photo: DPA

Around 100 guests had gathered at the outdoor wedding in Blankensee, near Neubrandenburg in southern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on Wednesday when the incident happened, police said.

Due to high winds, a large branch broke off from a tree around 8.30pm and fell from a height of four metres onto the group.

Three women and four men suffered serious injuries, while another man was slightly injured.

The guests had been attending a wedding in the centre of Blankensee, in the northern German state. Emergency services attended the scene and those who were injured were taken to surrounding hospitals.

READ ALSO: Travel chaos after thunderstorms and rain lash eastern Germany

Storm causes disruption

Meanwhile in the city of Oranienburg in Brandenburg, 11 people suffered minor injuries after the top part of a tree broke off and hit them.

It came as severe storms hit eastern and northern parts of Germany. Due to the heavy rainfall, many streets were flooded and hurricane-like gusts of wind uprooted trees.

In Berlin alone, emergency services were called out on more than 200 operations in just two hours, from about 6-8pm on Wednesday. Due to the heavy rainfall, many streets were flooded and hurricane-like gusts of wind uprooted trees.

A cyclist braves the rain during storms in Berlin. Photo: DPA

A lightning strike in the Tempelhof area damaged the whole Ringbahn network, leaving passengers stranded.

Operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed that due to “damage to the infrastructure” all long-distance connections in the Berlin city area were temporarily suspended. Technicians were on duty to inspect the damage.

The disruption lasted about two hours but delays continued into the night.

Meanwhile, there were reports of boats capsizing on the Wannsee lake in the west of the city.

In the city of Dresden, revellers heading to a Rammstein gig were affected. The Rudolf Harbig Stadium had to be cleared of water because of the rain. Fans had to leave the venue, but were allowed to return after an hour.

The start of the concert was delayed.

A series of summer storms have been lashing the country recently. In Munich on Monday, giant hailstones injured people and damaged cars and homes. The weather has also been causing severe disruption to the transport network.

SEE ALSO: IN PICTURES – Giant hailstones hit Munich as storms continue across Germany

Calmer day on Thursday

Forecasters say the weather is expected to be calmer on Thursday. A meteorologist at the German Weather Service (DWD) said the risk of storms was much lower than on Wednesday.

Lightning in Treplin, Brandenburg on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

But there's still a chance of isolated thunderstorms and torrential rain in areas such as the Black Forest as well as in Thuringia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

All in all, it will be a bit cooler in Germany on Thursday. Temperatures on Wednesday had reached 34C in some places before the storm hit.

According to the DWD, the highest temperatures – around 26-28C – were likely in places such as Berlin. Bavaria and areas along the Danube, could also experience similar highs.

In the west it will be much cooler, with temperatures of around 14C in Saarbruken and 17C in Bremen.

Vocabulary

Wedding party (die) Hochzeitsgesellschaft

Branch – (der) Ast

Long distance trains- (die) Fernzüge

Thunderstorm – (das) Gewitter

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating words in some news stories. Did you find this useful? Can we do anything else? Let us know.

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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.

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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