It gets stormy before Christmas

"The tension for the White Christmas remains high," says ntv meteorologist Björn Alexander. But before the final spurt before the holidays begins, an Atlantic hurricane is heading towards Europe. This means a lot of wind, especially in the north. In terms of flooding, the worst will soon be over in many places.

ntv.de: The Christmas weather countdown is entering the home straight - under what conditions?

Björn Alexander: Thanks to an interlude of high pressure, the sun will be shining regionally on the third Sunday of Advent. Then a hint of early winter rattles across the country, bringing snow chances and increased storm potential to the mountains, before the tension for the White Christmas remains high.

A full schedule that obviously starts with some reassurance. What are the details for Friday?

On Friday, we can expect only local showers, which will consistently change to snow above around 500 meters. In the afternoon, it will become drier, especially in the west and north, and the sun will make a tentative appearance. It will be 2 degrees in the low mountain ranges and 4 to 9 degrees in the rest of the country.

What does this mean for the sometimes tense flood situation?

That the worst will soon be behind us in many places. In terms of the rivers, this means that the Danube from Kelheim to Passau is currently still at reporting level 3 of 4, meaning that the peak has been reached and the flood wave is slowly receding. On the Rhine, it looks like the peak has also been reached in Karlsruhe at just under 8.40 meters, which in turn corresponds to a five-year flood. Further downstream, the water levels are still rising as the peak approaches.

What heights will still be reached?

With the focus on the Rhineland and the Lower Rhine, for example in Cologne, the water level will rise from the current 6.50 meters on Friday to 7.50 meters, peaking at 8 meters on Saturday. This means that the Rhine has reached a notable high, but fortunately it is not too dramatic.

When would it become more dramatic?

As far as shipping is concerned, from 6.20 meters, ships in Cologne are only allowed to travel at reduced speed and in the middle of the river. From 8.30 meters, the second mark applies, at which navigation would have to be stopped completely. However, it only becomes critical for the shore area when the 10-meter mark is approached. The disaster alert is declared from 10.70 meters, from 11.30 meters the old town would be flooded.

Back to the weather and hopefully a contemplative calm on the third Advent weekend, right?

For most of us in any case. The east will still get some rain on Saturday. And in many other places it will be gray or foggy, but dry. Only on the mountains in the south will there be plenty of sunshine above the fresh snow. Temperatures of 2 to 9 degrees. However, the lows will remain close, especially in the north, which the forecast confirms with an upsurge in winds on the coast.

And on Sunday?

The wind will continue to pick up in the northern lights and reach gale force on the North Sea. In the rest of the country, meanwhile, the situation is relaxed and in the center and south there will be friendly to sunny spells outside of fog or high fog. It will continue to be most beautiful towards the Alps. Temperatures will rise slightly to between 4 and 10 degrees.

What's next for the Christmas week?

The picture will be similar on Monday, with the wind becoming weaker in the north, which will continue to be rather mixed. This will change from Tuesday when the storm lows from the previously storm-laden Atlantic approach.

Where will the worst storms be before then?

A veritable carousel of low pressure is currently developing over the North Atlantic, bringing repeated peak gusts of up to 140 km/h and sometimes even over 150 km/h in Iceland. This low-pressure cluster then moves towards northern Europe and can repeatedly cause blizzard-like conditions over parts of Scandinavia. At the same time, there is also a risk that peripheral lows with the associated storm fields and mixing in polar cold air will push towards Germany.

What consequences would this have for us?

The American weather model recently showed a particularly intense version from December 22, the calendar date for the start of winter. Even before then, it would be repeatedly wet and windy to stormy from Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with snow possible in the mountains. From Friday, Germany would then be on the back of a significant storm depression, which would bring snow showers down to the lowlands.

Are there more peaceful forecasts?

There are. But all the well-known computer models actually have wind and storms on their screens. Of course, milder air from the west could also mix in. Nevertheless, the cooler to colder approaches with a massive low over Scandinavia have been appearing in the calculations for some time and repeatedly, which makes them appear somewhat more plausible overall at the moment. In short: the tension remains enormous - both with regard to the White Christmas and unfortunately also in terms of the risk of storms.

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Despite the approaching Atlantic hurricane bringing potential winds and flooding concerns, meteorologist Björn Alexander from ntv highlights that International Meteorology experts are closely monitoring the weather conditions for a potential White Christmas, as an interlude of high pressure may bring sunshine before the final surge before Christmas.
With the Christmas weather countdown in full swing, Swedish meteorologist Björn Alexander from ntv shares that while parts of Europe will experience heavy winds and potential flooding due to an Atlantic hurricane, some areas might see snow chances and increased storm potential as a hint of early winter rattles across the country.
Following the worrying flood situation across various regions, Björn Alexander, an international meteorologist from ntv, relayed that while many places may soon witness the worst of the flooding, there is a chance of Weather patterns changing, resulting in snow chances and increased storm potential on the mountains, as an interlude of high pressure approaches before the White Christmas tension remains high.

Source: www.ntv.de