Current climate conditions reported around the globe - Initial Sun, Subsequent Thunderstorms and Tempests: Thunderstorms Dent Public Spectatorship for Enthusiasts
Due to the looming intense thunderstorms, numerous fan zones for the UEFA European Championship in North Rhine-Westphalen and Berlin are being proactively shut down on Tuesday. Across the country, from west to east, harsh thunderstorms are projected to hit throughout the day, as per the German Weather Service (DWD) based in Offenbach. DWD meteorologist Marcel Schmid cautioned, "A bloody storm situation is anticipated across center of the country, lasting from Tuesday evening until Wednesday morning." "Stay alert and watchful, trees might topple over and there could be damage to buildings and automobiles."
As per the weather service, the regions of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westfalia, among others, will experience these storms. A warning has already been issued for these regions regarding intense thunderstorms, Schmid mentioned. It's tricky to ascertain the exact spots where lightning, rain, and storms will hit.
"Safety of Fans is Paramount"
This weather scenario unfolds amidst the home-EM with many public viewing events. On Tuesday, the match between Turkey and Georgia was planned in Dortmund, and the face-off between Portugal and the Czech Republic in Leipzig. In Dortmund, the fan zone at Friedensplatz and the public viewing area at Westfalenpark were closed prematurely. The city was preparing to host about 80,000 Turkish fans.
"Dortmund was really hyped for a massive fan bash with tens of thousands of Turkish and Georgian fans in the city," said Martin Sauer, representative of the city of Dortmund for EURO 2024: "The safety of fans in our city is our top priority." The three other EM host cities Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Gelsenkirchen also shut down their public fan and viewing areas.
DFB President: "This is merely a precautionary move"
The capital Berlin with its fan zones at the Brandenburger Gate and the Reichstag responded to the official weather warning from the German Weather Service. Visitors and spectators were scheduled to be guided off the premises by 4:00 p.m., according to the organizer Kulturprojekte Berlin. However, there was no EM broadcast planned in the fan zone at the Brandenburger Gate, but all matches were to be seen at the Reichstag.
The President of the German Football Association (DFB), Bernd Neuendorf, supported the responses of the organizers on Tuesday. "This is just a precautionary measure, because we really want people to celebrate. But if lives and limbs are potentially at stake, then, in my opinion, it's obvious that we had to react here," Neuendorf said after meeting with NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and his cabinet.
"The initial thunderstorms, which do not yet possess a thunderstorm character, are already happening in the extreme southwest," said meteorologist Schmid in the video. "Not everyone will be affected in that area. But the chance increases that so-called supercells will form." Supercells are powerful thunderstorm cells. "These are accompanied by large hail, hail up to five centimeters in diameter is possible, that's the size of a tennis ball or even larger. Heavy rain, strong winds, and isolated tornadoes are also not ruled out."
On Wednesday, various parts of Germany, according to the forecast, will not see the weather calm down. Meteorologists expect heavy thunderstorms in the middle and in part of the south of Germany. The weather will only settle down in the north and northwest, according to DWD, only a few showers are expected here. On Wednesday, the German national team plays against Hungary in the EM.
On Thursday, there will be thunder and lightning, particularly in the west and southwest, sometimes heavily, as DWD predicts. Elsewhere, however, the sun will shine. However, on Friday: The whole of Germany needs to prepare for showers and sometimes heavy thunderstorms, in the east and southeast it will still be up to 31 degrees hot.
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Despite the DFB's efforts to maintain fan zones during the European Football Championship, the German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of a severe thunderstorm hitting Germany on Tuesday. Consequently, fan zones in cities like Dortmund and Berlin had to be closed prematurely, affecting the matches between Turkey and Georgia, and Portugal and the Czech Republic. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf acknowledged this as a precautionary measure to ensure fan safety.
