"Thunderstorm conditions intensify across Germany"
Over German skies, a storm system is marching northward from the southwest, triggering torrential downpours, electrical storms, and hail in certain areas. Emergency services are keeping busy, with numerous calls for assistance. Various miles of the European Championship venues had to be shut down for safety reasons, like in Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Cologne, and Berlin, as well as in Berlin. The German Meteorological Service (DWD) warned of a "nationwide heavy thunderstorm situation" that would persist from late afternoon today until Wednesday morning. Thunderstorm alerts are active for multiple regions.
In Dortmund, hefty rainfalls led to around 20 interventions by the fire department in the afternoon. Numerous streets were submerged, along with a subway station, which was filled with around ten centimeters of water, according to a fire department representative. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The airline staff at the stadium were making efforts to minimize the impact of the rain before the EM game between Turkey and Georgia: They were clearing the water that flowed from the rooftops and stairs using open gutters. The heavy downpour also dampened the procession of the Georgian fans towards the stadium.
On the A42 motorway in Herne, the highway was inundated at the interchange, reported a spokesperson for the Münster police. Drivers could navigate it slowly.
In Southern Thuringia, giant hailstones battered several vehicles and corrugated roofs. No injuries were reported, according to a police spokesperson. Additionally, a local district road in Hildburghausen's Landkreis was entirely covered with hailstones the size of golf balls. The road has since been cleared and is safe to use again. There were no accidents reported. As per MDR, the emergency services were also called out due to uprooted trees. A lightning strike in Nordhausen caused traffic delays because a traffic light system malfunctioned.
Earlier, temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius were recorded at various locations in Germany. According to ntv weather experts, Friedrichshafen currently holds the hotspot title with 32.4 degrees. In Esslingen am Neckar and Kressbronn am Bodensee, temperatures reached 31.7 degrees each. Garmisch-Partenkirchen reports just over 31 degrees.
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The extreme weather events, including heavy thunderstorms, are an international concern, with Germany currently experiencing nationwide heavy thunderstorm situations as warned by the German Weather Service (DWD). These weather conditions have led to numerous interventions by emergency services in various cities.
