As of: December 6th, 2023 11:25 p.m
Ice and snow also caused partly slippery roads and problems in traffic in northern Germany on Wednesday. There were several accidents. Now the winter weather situation seems to be slowly subsiding, but it can still be frosty at night.
The German Weather Service (DWD) expected heavy cloud cover on Thursday night, and snow or sleet should move further east over Western Pomerania. From southern Lower Saxony along the North Sea coast to Schleswig-Holstein, some rain and some snow showers were expected. It can become slippery again in places.
The temperatures then rise during the day: after minus 2 to plus 3 degrees at night, values of zero to plus 4 degrees are predicted for Thursday in northern Germany. In addition, it should loosen up and become sunny in some areas, especially in Lower Saxony. The snow, which is still a few centimeters deep in places, is likely to gradually melt away. People in northern Germany should still expect slippery conditions until the end of the week, according to NDR weather expert Alex König.
A7 was closed northbound for hours
On Wednesday there were several accidents on motorways and federal highways, which resulted in closures and traffic jams. The A7 near Handewitt (Schleswig-Flensburg district) was closed northwards for several hours. A truck was thrown into the ditch there during the night. The police only lifted the lockdown after several hours. Current traffic reports can be found on the website NDR traffic studios.
Dangerous goods transports in MV had to stop
The police in Neubrandenburg pointed out on Wednesday that dangerous goods transports were not allowed to continue in these weather conditions. At midday, a patrol between Stavenhagen and Malchin prohibited a driver who was transporting propane gas from continuing his journey and ordered a fine. Drivers of vans who have loaded gasoline, heating oil, propane gas or the like are well advised to stop in the nearest parking lot or not drive off at all, police headquarters said.
Warning strike by the road maintenance departments in Lower Saxony and SH
Drivers in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein had to prepare for federal and state roads that were not cleared on a regional basis on Wednesday. As last week, the ver.di union called on road maintenance companies to take part in the public service warning strike. The state agency for road construction and traffic in Schleswig-Holstein warned of severely limited winter service.
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Schleswig-Holstein: Numerous accidents and some train cancellations
The truck accident on the A7 near Harrislee kept emergency services busy for hours.
The control centers in Schleswig-Holstein counted more than 130 ice icing accidents by Wednesday morning. Most of the time there was damage to the sheet metal. According to the information, there were crashes 25 times in the Flensburg area alone. Not far from the serious truck accident on the A7, a small car overturned on the L192 near Handewitt, leaving a woman slightly injured. After the police arrived, two other vehicles slid into the patrol car in quick succession. Near Dannewerk (Schleswig-Flensburg district), a school bus with 25 children on board slipped into the guardrail, but no one was injured. Near Haselund (Nordfriesland district) there were several icy accidents on the B200 in the morning. Rescue workers were also deployed several times on the A24 towards Hamburg.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Warning against entering ice surfaces
There were two crashes early on Wednesday morning on the A20 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – once at the Rostock intersection, once just behind the Greifswald junction. Both accidents led to temporary closures. Three people were slightly injured in an accident on the A19. According to the police, a car slid into a tree while turning near Ueckermünde (Western Pomerania-Greifswald district). Both vehicle occupants were injured in the impact, the 63-year-old driver seriously. In Greifswald, a bus slid into a tree and then took a fence and a lantern with it. Nobody got hurt. Further collisions also led to disruptions in rush hour traffic. Police and fire departments in the country had already reported numerous operations on Tuesday.
For the next few days, the State Water Police Office warns against entering ice surfaces on bodies of water. The ice is too thin in many places and there is a danger to life in the event of a breakthrough into the cold water.
Winter service in Hamburg with 280 vehicles in use
The Hamburg city cleaning service was in continuous operation all day on Wednesday. 725 employees and 280 vehicles were on the move to clear streets and paths. According to the city cleaning service, there was a particular risk of slippery roads on bridges and side streets. “We got through much better,” said a spokesman for the Hamburg city cleaning department in the afternoon.
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