Severe weather warning - Fallen trees, train cancellations, storm surge - "Zoltan" blows through parts of Germany
Storm "Zoltan" has reached Germany - travelers by train and ship already felt the first effects on Thursday. In the evening, there were many cancellations for Deutsche Bahn, especially in the north. Trees fell in Lower Saxony and Christmas markets were closed. Fire departments prepared for operations on Friday night. Meanwhile, people on the Elbe, Weser and Ems rivers have to prepare for severe storm surges.
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency has predicted a severe storm surge in Hamburg on Friday night. The water of the Elbe could rise 2.5 meters above mean high water. The risk of storm surge would persist until around 11.25 pm.
Another severe storm surge was forecast by the Federal Office for Friday morning on the Elbe, Weser and Ems. Water levels are expected to rise to more than 2.5 meters above mean high water between 8.00 am and 12.00 noon.
The storm surge is triggered by the fact that the wind is currently blowing consistently strong from one direction and thus damming up the water on the North Sea coast. "Once the tidal wave has passed the North Sea islands, it will run up the rivers in its wake," said Jennifer Brauch from the authority's North Sea and Baltic Sea forecasting services. The Hamburg police warned against staying in low-lying areas around the Elbe during the expected storm surge.
Many ferries between the Halligen islands and the mainland were already canceled on Thursday, according to the Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei shipping company. A special timetable applies to other ferries on Friday. Ferry services between Rostock and Gedser in Denmark were also suspended.
Storm "Zoltan" pushes water onto the coasts
The effects are greater for the railroads, which already have more passengers than usual due to the upcoming public holidays. A number of Deutsche Bahn (DB) long-distance services were canceled; for example, at times there was no train on the important connection from Berlin to Hanover, as could be seen on DB's online information channels. A reporter from the news agency DPA reported from a train from Hamburg to Hanover that the Hanover station could not be approached due to overcrowding. Regional and long-distance trains were also canceled at Hamburg Central Station, as reported by a stern reporter.
According to Deutsche Bahn, there were restrictions due to storm damage on the Kiel-Hamburg, Hamburg-Westerland and Kiel-Hamburg-Bremen-NRW routes, for example. The Intercity connection between Hamburg and Copenhagen was also affected. Deutsche Bahn also reported weather-related delays and cancellations on regional services on Thursday.
DB has canceled the train service for Thursday due to the numerous disruptions. Passengers could use their ticket on a later day. However, DB also pointed out that long-distance trains are already very busy due to the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Tree falls over near bus stop
Storm "Zoltan" had already caused many calls for the fire department on Thursday. There was initial damage in Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. According to the fire department, a 15-metre-high tree fell next to a bus stop in the Hanseatic city. No one was injured. In the south of Brandenburg, the emergency services counted around 68 call-outs from the afternoon until the early evening hours. In Berlin, one person was injured by a fallen tree in the Hakenfelde district of Spandau, according to a spokesperson.
The storm also made itself felt in other countries. In Great Britain, the storm has already caused problems for travelers. Schools on the Shetland Islands remained closed. In some places, trees fell or the power went out. There were also temporary restrictions on air and rail travel. In Denmark, some flights from Copenhagen Airport were canceled, as were trains in the west of the Jutland region.
Meteorologists: Winds expected to pick up again on Friday afternoon
The German Weather Service is expecting gusts of 90 to 110 kilometers per hour for the North Sea and Baltic coasts on Friday morning, with even stronger gale-force gusts possible. Storm "Zoltan" is also continuing to cause problems for the rest of the country. Although the wind initially weakened there on Friday, it freshened up again in the second half of the day.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, continuous rain and storms left their mark. In Willebadessen near Paderborn, for example, a tree crashed onto a regional train. According to the police, the train with its 200 passengers was unable to continue its journey and had to be cleared on the open track. In Bielefeld, 60 firefighters and technical relief workers were deployed to a horse farm due to the incessant rain.
The weather also had an impact on many Christmas markets, which will soon be closing their doors anyway. In North Rhine-Westphalia, several Christmas markets remained closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure, for example in Essen and Duisburg. Düsseldorf closed in the afternoon. On Lake Tegernsee, two Christmas markets in Rottach-Egern and Bad Wiessee (both in the district of Miesbach) were unable to open on Friday due to the high wind speeds, while parks and cemeteries in many towns remained closed until Saturday.
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The storm in Germany is causing havoc on various modes of transport. In Lower Saxony, trees have fallen on the German railroad routes, leading to cancellations on Deutsche Bahn, particularly in the north. The storm surge in the Elbe, Weser, and Ems rivers is a significant concern, with the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency predicting a severe surge in Hamburg on Friday night. Police have warned residents in low-lying areas around the Elbe to avoid staying there during the estimated surge.
Ferries have also been affected, with many cancellations reported between the Halligen islands and the mainland. Ferry services between Rostock and Gedser in Denmark have also been suspended due to the storm. The storm surge is expected to cause water levels to rise over 2.5 meters above mean high water on the Elbe, Weser, and Ems between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon on Friday.
Storm "Zoltan" has affected rail services throughout the country, leading to numerous cancellations and delays on Deutsche Bahn. DB has even canceled train services for Thursday due to the disruptions, advising passengers to use their tickets on a later day. The Hanover station was particularly crowded, causing route cancellations and delays on regional and long-distance trains.
The effects of the storm are not limited to train travel. In Hanover, a 15-meter high tree fell near a bus stop but fortunately, no one was injured. In Berlin, a person was injured by a fallen tree in the Hakenfelde district of Spandau. In the south of Brandenburg, emergency services reported around 68 call-outs due to the storm from the afternoon until the early evening hours.
The storm has even reached Denmark, causing cancellations of flights from Copenhagen Airport and train services in the west of Jutland region. The UK has also experienced problems with the storm, with schools closing on the Shetland Islands, trees falling, and power outages in some areas.
Meteorologists predict that the winds will pick up again on Friday afternoon, with gusts expected to reach up to 110 kilometers per hour on the North Sea and Baltic coasts. North Rhine-Westphalia has also experienced continuous rain and storms, resulting in damage to infrastructure and properties.
The storm has forced many Christmas markets to close as a precautionary measure, with several markets in Essen, Duisburg, and Düsseldorf closing on Thursday. In other parts of Germany, Christmas markets remained closed on Friday due to high wind speeds.
Source: www.stern.de
