The storm is moving along the Belgian coast towards Germany. The north of Germany is particularly affected, but also NRW is hit by the storm. That’s why it gets windier at night. Heavy gusts of wind are expected – in some cases up to 110 km/h. From midnight onwards the storm will initially decrease in the Rhineland.
Emergency shelters evacuated, overhead lines damaged
In Castrop-Rauxel and Dorsten, over 1,700 refugees were evacuated from emergency shelters and temporarily housed elsewhere.
For example, in Duisburg and the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, falling trees damaged the overhead lines on railway lines.
Trees have little support in the moist ground
The storm can cause branches to break off trees or roof tiles to be blown off houses. In addition, shallow-rooted trees, such as spruces, have poor grip in the currently moist soil and can easily fall over during storms.
We also reported on this topic on television on WDR on February 22nd, 2024