Status: 01/15/2023 06:40 a.m
Storm depression “Frederic” sweeps across the north. The German weather service has issued an official severe weather warning for the North Sea coast for today: Hurricane gusts are imminent.
There is also an official warning of gusts of wind for Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and large parts of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the gusts on the North Sea can reach wind speeds of 115 kilometers per hour from the morning. In the Harz these hurricane-like gusts can also occur earlier. According to the forecast, heavy gusts of wind of up to 100 kilometers per hour are also possible inland in the vicinity of showers and in exposed locations. The temperatures are between seven and nine degrees.
Further information
Deutsche Bahn: Inform about trains before departure
In view of the stormy weather, the Lower Saxony State Forests warn against entering forest areas, especially in the higher elevations of the Harz and Solling. The dry summers of recent years have caused trees and parts of trees to die off, explained President Klaus Merker. The wind threatened to break them off. Deutsche Bahn expects problems in train traffic: It advises customers to inform themselves before their departure, if and when the trains run.
Further information
Fire brigade: Take special care on the road
The district fire brigade association Aurich warns to secure garden furniture and garbage cans and to keep windows and doors closed. It is said that scaffolding and advertising signs should also be checked to ensure that they are secure. There is also a danger from possible falling roof tiles. Anyone who is on the road should be particularly vigilant: fallen trees and falling branches could also be dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.
Possible snowfall in the Harz
According to the DWD, rainfall between 30 and 40 liters per square meter is still possible in the Harz Mountains. The heavy rain can also cause the water levels of the rivers to rise elsewhere in Lower Saxony. It’s supposed to get colder by Monday. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the experts expect temperatures between 4 and 6 degrees, in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg around 5 degrees. In the Upper Harz, the DWD predicts temperatures around 0 degrees – so snow could fall. Winter sports may even be possible in the next few weeks.