meteorology
Thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain – nationwide severe weather warnings
After a severe storm, firefighters clear branches of a fallen tree from parked cars in Frankfurt am Main. photo
© Boris Roessler/dpa
Heavy rain floods streets and basements in many parts of Germany. The railway reports restrictions. Hail and severe gusts of wind are expected to continue overnight.
First oppressive heat, then heavy thunderstorms and heavy rain: In many parts of Germany, people had to contend with storms on Thursday – hailstones the size of golf balls fell, heavy rain flooded streets and basements. Major damage was not known until the evening. It started in the afternoon in the west and parts of the southwest. Hesse and Saxony-Anhalt were severely affected later in the evening. For the night, the German Weather Service warned of severe thunderstorms as far as Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg.
Weather service warns of storms, heavy rain and hail
According to DWD information, the low should move eastwards across central Germany in the evening and on Friday night – warnings were given of severe thunderstorms and sometimes heavy rain lasting several hours. There could be up to 50 liters of precipitation per square meter locally in a short time. Heavy gusts of wind up to 100 kilometers per hour and “large hail up to 5 cm grain size” are possible in addition to the heavy rain, it said on Thursday evening.
An increase in extreme hurricane gusts of 140 kilometers per hour and very large hail of up to seven centimeters is “not entirely impossible”. Overall, however, a decrease in thunderstorm activity is to be expected during the night.
Start of summer vacation with storm – trees on catenary
With sometimes heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, the storm had reached North Rhine-Westphalia – on the first day of the summer vacation of all days. The DWD issued severe weather warnings for large parts of the most populous federal state. Heavy rains, some of them heavy, hit the region several times. Basements were full, streets were flooded – but no major damage or injuries were reported as of early Thursday evening.
In the Frankfurt suburb of Sindlingen, several trees fell on an overhead line near the train station. Several cars were badly damaged. “The people were extremely lucky,” said a fire department spokesman in view of the downright flattened vehicles in a residential area – it remained with property damage. In view of the large number of fire brigade operations, the emergency call was overloaded. A spokesman appealed to only call in real emergencies, waiting times must be expected.
Hailstones the size of a golf ball fell from the sky in the Upper Bavarian valley. Initially, the police were not aware of any damage. There were also thunderstorms elsewhere on Thursday evening over Bavaria. Initially, however, the police did not report any significant incidents.
Busy operations centers – canceled events
The storm also caused numerous basements to fill up in the Harz district. The Harz integrated control center spoke of countless operations on Thursday evening, but was initially unable to give an exact number. A further focus of use in addition to the flooded cellars are also trees on the streets.
Because of the storm, the organizers of the Full Force Festival near Gräfenhainichen in Saxony-Anhalt canceled the warm-up party planned for Thursday. Safety is the top priority, it said in a statement. “Please make your campsites storm-proof, secure loose objects or dismantle them and please do not build any more pavilions.” In the event of a storm, participants should take shelter in cars. By switching on the hazard warning lights, you can signal that there are still spaces in the car.
Restrictions on buses and trains
In Kassel in Hesse, the operation of buses and trains has been completely stopped. This measure in the afternoon was chosen for safety reasons, the Kasseler Verkehrsgesellschaft (KVG) announced. “Stormy gusts, extreme rainfall and hailstorms had led, for example, to flooded roads and tracks, branches and trees that had fallen onto tracks or overhead lines and blocked the routes. There was material damage to vehicles of an as yet unknown extent,” according to the KVG.
Booked train trips can be postponed
Deutsche Bahn was also preparing for problems: “Repair teams and emergency vehicles are on standby to remove storm damage to overhead lines and obstacles in the track bed such as fallen trees or parts of roofs, tarpaulins and rubbish,” said a railway spokesman. There are delays and cancellations, especially in the middle of Germany and in the north, as the group announced on Thursday evening.
Anyone who has booked a train ticket for Friday can postpone the journey to a later date. “The train connection is canceled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even with a changed route. Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge,” said the railway.