- Heavy rains cause overcrowded basements and landslides
A Severe Storm with heavy rain has caused numerous flooded basements and a landslide in southern Lower Saxony. In Hann. Münden in the district of Göttingen, a part of a slope slid onto the federal highway 80 during the night from Saturday to Sunday due to heavy rain, hitting a car. Two people had to be rescued from the vehicle, but they remained unharmed, a police spokeswoman said. The road is expected to remain closed between Hann. Münden and Vake at the Hessian border until Monday. Clean-up operations are ongoing.
Due to heavy rain, the fire department was also called out to numerous incidents of flooded basements. In Hann. Münden, several streets were closed due to flooding overnight, a fire department spokesman said. Since Saturday evening, there have been more than 50 incidents of flooded basements in Hann. Münden. No injuries were reported, and the extent of property damage is still unknown.
The storm also affected the Northwest German Forest Research Institute
A building of the Northwest German Forest Research Institute at the location in Hann. Münden was also affected by the heavy rain. The exact extent of the damage to the joint facility of the states of Lower Saxony, Hesse, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein remained unclear initially. The building was cordoned off the day after the storm, with sandbags surrounding it, a dpa photographer reported.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms also led to deployments of rescue services in the north of the country, in the district of Friesland. The federal highway 210 had to be temporarily closed near Schortens due to flooding. According to police, so much water accumulated on the road that a fish about 25 centimeters long was swimming there. How it got there remains unknown.
Calm Weather Expected for the Start of the Week
According to the forecast by the German Weather Service (DWD), the weather should calm down at the start of the new week. After the unsettled and rainy weather of the past few days, high pressure "Kai" with a center directly over Germany should provide a quieter, drier weather situation, meteorologists said. Especially on Tuesday, dry air should bring plenty of sunshine and temperatures up to 31 degrees Celsius in Lower Saxony. "On Wednesday, the brief dry interlude is already over," the weather service added. Then, a cold front with showers and thunderstorms is expected to approach from the northwest in the early hours.
After the heavy rain, someone at a flooded basement in Hann. Münden experienced a slip and fall, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. With the roof of a nearby store weakened by the relentless rain, there was a potential for a more severe slip and fall incident, but thankfully, it was avoided.
