Weather - Initially, further winter weather with a northeast-southwest gradient
Cold and snow continue to grip many parts of Germany. "The wintry conditions are largely here to stay," said a meteorologist from the German Weather Service on Wednesday night. However, there is a north-east-south-west divide. While temperatures in the northeast will reach between minus one and three degrees on Wednesday, it will be milder in the southwest with three to seven degrees.
"In the north-east, it may snow as far as the lowlands, with a few centimetres of snow possible. We can also expect more snow, mainly in the Black Forest and Allgäu." In the lowlands, the weather is otherwise "rather dingy, wet and cold". Slippery conditions are still an issue, especially in the north-east and in the mountains. "On Thursday night, it will fall below zero degrees again across the board, so watch out for freezing rain again," said the weather expert.
Situation on the roads mostly calm
Despite snow and ice in large parts of Germany, Autobahn GmbH has sufficient supplies of gritting materials, according to a media report. "There have been no shortages of gritting material so far. The situation is under control," a company spokesperson told the Rheinische Post. The Autobahn GmbH maintenance depots have reportedly made extensive preparations for the winter season. Traffic on the nationwide route network has so far been largely trouble-free.
On Wednesday night, the roads across Germany were mostly quiet. Apart from minor icy accidents, there were no reports from the situation centers of the federal states. "It snowed all day and the road conditions were borderline at times, but the number of accidents was quite normal," said a spokeswoman for the situation center in Hamburg. Things also remained calm in Bremen despite the fresh snow. "The snow clearing vehicles are rolling and there were no major traffic accidents in the evening or overnight," said a spokesperson from the situation center there.
"We were lucky with the freezing rain, we had expected more. But the situation was probably correctly assessed by road users," said a spokesperson for the situation center in Brandenburg. The roads were also quiet in Bavaria, which was particularly affected by the snow at the beginning of the week. "There is a thaw here, so there is no ice or snow on the roads at the moment," said a police spokesperson in Upper Bavaria during the night.
Railroad announces restrictions
However, there are further restrictions on the railways. "Due to the onset of winter, there will be delays and train cancellations in the south until Wednesday evening. We advise against traveling beyond Munich," Deutsche Bahn announced on its website. As Deutsche Bahn expects trains to be very busy on Wednesday, the company recommends planning journeys from Thursday if possible.
In addition to restrictions and accidents caused by snow and ice, winter also brings other problems. Homeless people in particular are suffering from the cold temperatures. "The risk of homeless people falling victim to the cold is increasing," said Werena Rosenke, Managing Director of the Federal Working Group for Assistance to the Homeless, to the Rheinische Post newspaper. "Winter is just starting, and those living on the streets often have a weak immune system."
According to the association, emergency housing assistance services have already ramped up their support services. Rosenke referred to so-called cold buses and heated lounges. With a view to the budget negotiations, the association called for stable funding for the support services. "Even in a difficult budget situation, cold aid, which is survival aid, must not be up for discussion," said Rosenke. Every death is one too many.
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- In the Black Forest and Allgäu, where temperatures are expected to drop, "The Autobahn Gmbh of the federal government" has prepared extensively for more snow.
- Despite the winter weather, a meteorologist from the German Weather Service (DWD) mentioned that the situation in Brandenburg is "luckily" not as bad as anticipated, with less freezing rain than expected.
- In Bavaria, which was heavily impacted by snow earlier in the week, roads are now free from ice or snow due to a thaw, according to a police spokesperson in Upper Bavaria.
- Winter brings challenges beyond just snow and ice. In Hamburg, the situation center reported that there have been no major traffic accidents despite the icy conditions.
- The Autobahn Gmbh of the federal government has confirmed that they have sufficient gritting materials, ensuring trouble-free traffic on the nationwide route network.
- In winter mountain country like the Black Forest or Allgäu, it's essential to be aware of the changing conditions and act accordingly to ensure safety on the roads.
- With winter temperatures affecting many parts of Germany, emergency housing assistance services for homeless people have ramped up their support services, including cold buses and heated lounges.
- The Met Office of Germany (DWD) has warned of further winter weather with a northeast-southwest gradient, advising travelers to be cautious in the Black Forest, Bavaria, and other mountainous areas, where roads may be slippery.
Source: www.stern.de
