storm
Flooded streets and thunderstorms make for a restless night
Firefighters pump rainwater out of a basement in Braunschweig. photo
© Moritz Frankenberg/dpa
In some places, the fire brigade is in action non-stop: basements are full, streets are flooded. According to initial findings, the storm did not cause any major damage.
It stormed, flashed, and in some places rain flooded streets and basements: severe storms swept across parts of Germany. No major damage was reported during the night. The police did not provide any information about injuries until the morning.
According to their own statements, the fire brigade in Duisburg rescued several people from vehicles that were stuck on flooded streets. According to the forecast of the German Weather Service (DWD), people in some regions have to be prepared for heavy rain today.
Streets in Braunschweig are under water
Several federal states in the west, center and north-east were affected by the storm yesterday, which is still sweeping over Germany today. Videos and pictures of menacing clouds with lightning were shared on social networks.
The fire brigade in the city of Braunschweig in Lower Saxony alone counted hundreds of operations. Videos showed streets flooded and shops flooded. Trams and cars were stuck. There were similar recordings from the Hessian city of Kassel. However, most regions of Germany got off lightly.
Fire brigade saves people from car
The fire brigade brought many operations due to the weather conditions. For example, flooded cellars had to be pumped out. In the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate, a tree fell on a moving car. “During another operation, people had to be rescued from their cars in a flooded underpass,” said the district’s fire and civil protection department.
In the Frankfurt suburb of Sindlingen, several cars were badly damaged by fallen trees. “The people were extremely lucky,” said a fire department spokesman in view of the downright flattened vehicles in a residential area.
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 last night over Bavaria. The police initially reported no significant incidents. In the Harz district, there were numerous flooded cellars due to the storm. The Berlin fire brigade declared the “state of emergency weather”.
Several railway lines closed
Those who traveled by train did not always get to their destination because of the storms. Several routes were temporarily closed during the night – including the important connections between Berlin and Hanover, Berlin and Hamburg and between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. Train traffic is “significantly affected nationwide,” said the railway’s website.
It was unclear whether all the damage would be repaired by rush hour. The railway provided overnight trains for stranded travelers in several stations. In Kassel, the operation of buses and trains was completely stopped.
Canceled events
Outdoor events have also been canceled in many places – such as the evening market in Radolfzell on Lake Constance and the warm-up party at the Full Force Festival near Gräfenhainichen in Saxony-Anhalt. 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 addition, a concert by the British singer Sting in Lingen, Lower Saxony, was canceled.
How’s the weather going?
Lightning and thunder caused restless sleep in some places at night. However, the DWD did not give the all-clear for today – although the storms are slowly fading away. The DWD is still expecting heavy thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and stormy gusts, especially in the east and south-east. During the day, from Western Pomerania to Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, showery rainfall can be expected in some areas.
However, the low is slowly migrating to Poland, with the muggy warm air being replaced by cooler ones. From the afternoon and evening onwards, the rain will also gradually move eastwards. On crests, however, stormy gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour can still be reached.
Booked train trips can be postponed
The train said that anyone who had booked a train ticket for today could postpone the journey to a later date. “The train connection is cancelled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even with a changed route. Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.”