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WEATHER

Euro 2024 fan zones closed in western Germany as storm warnings issued

Forecasters have warned of extreme thunderstorms in parts of Germany on Tuesday, resulting in upcoming fan events for Euro 2024 being cancelled.

Published: 18 June 2024 11:44 CEST
A public viewing area in Cologne closed off due to weather warnings.
A public viewing area in Cologne closed off due to weather warnings. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sascha Thelen

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expects thunderstorms, hailstones and gale force winds in the west and centre of Germany on Tuesday, moving eastwards later in the day. 

Fan areas for the UEFA European Football Championship will remain closed in several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Cologne and Düsseldorf.

Forecasters said heavy thunderstorms will develop from late morning, while storms are also expected in the east towards the evening.

Locally, large hailstones, strong gusts of winds and rainfall up to 30 litres per square metre are expected.

According to meteorologists, isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out in the west and centre of the country.

Although northern regions are not affected by the thunderstorms, heavy rain is forecast in the north and north-west of Germany. The DWD said from Tuesday morning, rainfall between 20 and 35 litres per square metre is possible within a few hours.

READ ALSO:

Cities close fan zones

Football fans in North Rhine-Westphalia will have to look for other places to watch the Euro matches on Tuesday or watch them at home because the fan zones in several cities will remain closed due to the risk of bad weather.

This affects the fan zones in Düsseldorf, Cologne and Gelsenkirchen as well as Dortmund, where Turkey’s match against Georgia kicks off at 6 pm.

Up to 80,000 Turkish supporters are expected to descend on Dortmund, with many planning to gather in fan areas before the match.

However, the “meeting points” planned with the fan associations of both nations have been cancelled, according to the city.

“Dortmund was really looking forward to and preparing for a big fan party with tens of thousands of Turkish and Georgian fans in the city,” said Martin Sauer, the city’s representative for the European Championships. However, he said the safety of the fans has priority.

In the second match of the day, Portugal and the Czech Republic will meet in Leipzig at 9 pm.  A severe thunderstorm warning is also in place here from 6 pm – but there were no reports of closures early on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, many Scottish and Swiss fans will be travelling to Cologne on Tuesday ahead of their match on Wednesday at 9pm. Although some showers are forecast, fans will be hoping that the worst of the storms have passed by then. 

IN PICTURES: Football fans take over German cities for Euro 2024

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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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