Weather - Thunderstorm over Lower Saxony: No major damage
Blitz and Thunder and a Camping Site That Had to be Evacuated: In parts of Lower Saxony, it heavily stormed during the night to Sunday - nevertheless, the weather event turned out largely harmless. In the Hannover region along with its state capital, there were 95 interventions, as the fire department reported on Sunday morning. The emergency services recorded 266 emergency calls from midnight to Sunday morning. According to current knowledge, there were no injured. Due to a lightning strike, the important railway line between Hannover and Minden was closed for hours.
A large youth fire department camp with around 1300 children and young people in the Diepholz district had to be evacuated early due to weather warnings. Dieter Wendt, Deputy Spokesperson for the Fire Department in the district, said on Saturday evening, "Perhaps our tents will be blown away by gusts of wind up to 120 kilometers per hour." Most children were supposed to be taken home in buses and small buses, some young people possibly in emergency shelters.
Weather Service forecasts more rain
The German Weather Service had previously issued a severe weather warning for Lower Saxony, which was in effect until morning. The low pressure system eventually moved northeastward. For Sunday, the Weather Service forecast heavy rain, and in eastern parts of the country, there was a possibility of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Monday was expected to be mostly cloudy with showers or showery rain, and there was a possibility of isolated thunderstorms. The highest temperatures were expected to be between 17 degrees Celsius at the coast and 21 degrees Celsius in the south of Lower Saxony. In the night to Tuesday, rainfall was expected to move eastward initially, followed by more showery rain from the west.
In the Hannover region, the fire department reported an intervention for a house fire. Seven interventions were reported for flooded cellars. A hanging branch in the city center had to be removed. On the A27 autobahn between the Bremerhaven-Überseehäfen and Zentrum exits, a 22-year-old lost control of his car in heavy rain. According to police, he was driving "inappropriately" at the time. The car slammed into the median barrier, causing significant damage, and came to a stop on the overtaking lane. Debris was also on the opposing lane. The driver and three other passengers remained unharmed.
Trains rerouted
The railway line between Hannover and Minden was closed for four hours in the night to Sunday due to a lightning strike. A spokesperson for the German Press Agency reported in the morning that the section had been reopened. During the closure, the trains were reportedly rerouted via Bremen. According to the spokesperson, there were no further disruptions nationwide due to the thunderstorms that had affected wide areas of Germany.
The Schützen paraded through heavy rain in Hannover on Sunday, not by choice. The traditional Schützen parade attracted many spectators - with raincoats and umbrellas. According to the city administration, the Schützen festival in Hannover is the largest of its kind worldwide. In the previous year, the organizers counted around 900,000 visitors and visitors.
- Despite the severe weather warning issued by the German Weather Service, the large tent camp in the Diepholz district, housing around 1300 children and young people, was initially planned to continue until Sunday.
- Due to the weather warnings and predictions of gusts of wind up to 120 kilometers per hour, the fire department in the District of Diepholz urged the evacuation of the tent camp early on Sunday morning.
- On Sunday, the Hanover region experienced numerous interventions by the fire department, including a house fire, flooded cellars, and the removal of a hanging branch in the city center, all due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms.
- The tent camp evacuation in the District of Diepholz was one of the many interventions reported by the fire department in Lower Saxony during the weekend, which was heavily impacted by storms, rain, and thunderstorms.
- In the nearby district of Minden, the importance of the railway line between Hannover and Minden was highlighted when it was closed for hours due to a lightning strike on Saturday night, causing disruptions and forcing trains to be rerouted via Bremen.
