Summmer kicks off with a bang, as storms cause chaos and violence.
Today kicks off summer, calendar-wise, but lousy weather conditions stall our entrance into the sunny season. An air mass boundary over Germany brings about a high likelihood of severe weather. However, meteorologist Oliver Hantke explains that the weather eases down gradually over the weekend.
ntv.de: Summer gets off to a miserable start. Where is the greatest risk of thunderstorms today?
Oliver Hantke: The greatest thunderstorm risk splits into two areas today: one spans from the Saarland to the Eifel, and the other lies directly over Bavaria. Heavy rain, hail, and tornadoes could occur. It might get really intense in southern Bavaria, with a significant energy potential and extremely humid air.
Additionally, there's considerable wind shear, meaning winds blowing in different directions. This can lead to the formation of supercells with large hail over 5 centimeters in diameter. Tornadoes are also possible. However, there are uncertainties due to Sahara dust in higher atmospheric layers as to how intense the storms will actually be. The highest temperatures are projected to be between 17 and 22 degrees in the north, 23 to 26 degrees in the middle, and 26 to 30 degrees in southern Germany.
What's the weather like for Public Viewing and the EM games today?
The afternoon match between Slovenia and Serbia in Munich is expected to be hot and wet. Kickoff at 3 pm is predicted to still be dry with around 26 degrees, but thunderstorm danger may arise during the game. Large hail, heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning are possibilities. It's also possible that the storm's center remains farther away or that the storms don't occur until after the game ends.
And the other games?
The Danish team faces England at 6 pm in Frankfurt, with temperatures at 23 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms could come close to Frankfurt, with some sunshine as well. The risk of thunderstorms is 50%. At 9 pm, the Spanish team plays against Italy in Gelsenkirchen, with temperatures at 18 degrees. Intermittent rain is likely, but strong thunderstorms are less likely than moderate to heavy rain. The risk of thunderstorms is 60%.
What's next? Are the storms over on Friday?
Unfortunately, not. Friday is also unpleasant, wet, and even dangerous in some places. From southern Germany through the middle and into the east, widespread thunderstorms form in humid air. In the eastern parts of the country, from the Oder to Niederbayern, there are still extended periods of heat. However, most of the energy for strong thunderstorms with hail, heavy rain, and storms or even tornadoes is located there. In the west and northwest, it might rain intermittently, but without lightning and thunder. The highest temperatures are projected to be between 20 degrees in Ostfriesland and 31 degrees at the Neisse.
When will the weather relax?
The weekend begins with mixed weather, with thunderstorms in the south and west. However, a gradual improvement in the weather is occurring. It's not as warm or hot in the east and south as it has been recently. The highest temperatures are projected to be between 17 and 25 degrees.
And on Sunday?
The weather continues with a mix of sun and a few more showers. Temperatures reach 17 to 24 degrees, up to 26 degrees at the Rhine. It could look pretty grim at the Alps with persistent rain and a maximum of 15 degrees. At least at the beginning of the week, it seems like a breath of fresh air: it is expected to be mostly dry and summer warm on Monday and Tuesday, without any thunderstorms.
Another question about today's summer solstice: The meteorologists have started the season earlier, on June 1st. What is the difference between astronomical and meteorological summer solstice?
Exactly at 10:29 p.m. Central European Summer Time, the sun stands straight above the Arctic Circle, located at 23.5 degrees northern latitude. In other words: it is in the zenith and appears vertical from below. Thus, it is the longest day of the year on the Northern Hemisphere - this is the astronomical or calendar summer solstice. Until the autumnal equinox, this zenith position moves back to the equator, and until the winter solstice it moves to the southern hemisphere - then we experience in Germany the shortest day. In many years, the summer solstice falls on June 21, but this is not the case this year. This is due to the fact that the Earth does not exactly orbit the sun in 365 days, and a leap year has an additional day inserted.
And the meteorological summer start?
Meteorologists always set the beginning of the seasons on the first day of the month for practical reasons. This way, all seasons last exactly three months, and we can more easily determine weather statistics.
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The international weather forecast suggests a high risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, particularly in southern Bavaria, due to the combination of high energy potential, extremely humid air, and wind shear. During the EM games in Munich, there's a threat of thunderstorms with large hail, heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning, potentially disrupting the afternoon match between Slovenia and Serbia.
