Thunderstorms rage over Germany - fatalities in France

Storm - Thunderstorms rage over Germany - fatalities in France

Upended Trees, impressive Lightning in the Sky and Football Fans, who got soaked: In many parts of Germany, it heavily stormed and lightning struck in the night. Particularly in the West and Southwest, torrential rain and hailstones fell from the sky. However, the police and fire departments reported a fortunate outcome. But not everywhere: In other European countries, there were even fatalities.

The storms fell right in the middle of the Football European Championship's Quarterfinals. Many fans wanted to watch the German National Team's game against Denmark in Dortmund under open skies or on large screens. Meteorologists from the German Weather Service (DWD) had warned against attending public viewings in the affected regions beforehand. Several events were then also cancelled.

The strongest gust was measured in Frankenberg, Hesse

In the end, the storms turned out to be less violent than expected. "There were only a few really strong turbulence and hurricane-like gusts," said a DWD spokesperson in Offenbach. These mainly occurred in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. "We had assumed, based on models, that it would be a bit wider spread, but that didn't happen." The strongest gust was measured in Frankenberg, Hesse, at 107 kilometers per hour.

Notably, it was lightning frequently in the sky: Nationwide, over 100,000 lightning strikes were expected, said DWD meteorologist Nico Bauer. "The lightning activity was extremely, extremely high." An exact total was not available. Around midnight, meteorologists counted 22,000 lightning strikes per half hour.

There were heavy rainfalls reported according to DWD: In some areas, amounts between 30 and 40 liters per square meter fell in a short time. In some places, 50 to 60 liters fell. Roads and basements were flooded in some places. Trees fell occasionally and blocked roads. Basements were filled.

Fire departments were called to many incidents - also due to fires caused by lightning strikes. A multi-family house in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, was hit by a lightning strike. According to the police, no one was injured. In Lübtheen south of Schwerin, there was a fire. The police and fire department in Saarland reported 140 interventions.

Football fans had to be strong

The quarterfinal match between Germany and Denmark in Dortmund was temporarily suspended due to the storm. Powerful lightning bolts were visible above the stadium, hail and heavy rain fell on the pitch. Large water droplets were splashing against the front rows of the Dortmund stadium stands. After a 25-minute pause, the game resumed.

The public viewing events in Dortmund were cancelled early, as the danger from the storm for the fans was too great, it was explained. In Frankfurt am Main, the fan mile had already been closed off in advance. But other gatherings were also affected: The SWR3 Rheinland-Pfalz Open Air concert in Mainz had to be cancelled due to the storm. Nearly 10,000 people had come to the event site at the Große Bleiche in Mainz.

Three deaths in France

During in Germany, no reports of injured or fatalities were known until Sunday afternoon. However, the storms in France were less favorable. In the east of the country, three people were killed when a tree uprooted and crashed into their car. The tree had struck the car with great force on the Saturday evening, near the town of Rosnay-l'Hôpital (Aube), on a country road, reported France 3 on Sunday, citing the local fire department.

In Switzerland, several people were reported missing after a landslide in the southern Swiss canton of Tessin. According to the police, a heavy storm hit the Maggiatal area during the night leading to Sunday. The landslide occurred in Fontana, they said. The search for the missing people in Fontana was complicated by the poor weather conditions.

Important railway lines closed for hours

There were significant disruptions on the roads and rails, but they were not extensive. However, it took longer to reach some destinations. According to the Federal Police, there were lightning strikes on the railway line between Dortmund and Hamm in the evening. No one was injured, but the line was briefly closed. The railway line between Hannover and Minden was also closed for over an hour due to a lightning strike.

What are the prospects?

Recently, there have been several heavy storms in Germany. For example, in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, heavy rainfall led to severe flooding with several fatalities.

At the beginning of the new week, the DWD expects changeable and significantly cooler weather. It will continue to rain, and there is a possibility of thunderstorms. The temperatures will only reach a maximum of slightly above 20 degrees. The meteorologists predict warmer weather again only from the coming weekend.

Despite the heavy storms in Europe, the German Football Championship Quarterfinals continued in Dortmund, with fans braving the rain and lightning.
The German city of Frankenberg in Hesse recorded the strongest gust of wind at 107 kilometers per hour during the storm.
The German Weather Service (DWD) had warned against attending public viewings in the affected regions due to the potential danger of thunderstorms and lightning.
The DWD reported an exceptionally high number of lightning strikes across Germany, with over 100,000 expected and around 22,000 counted per half hour around midnight.
In some areas, heavy rainfall led to flooding, causing roads to be submerged and basements to fill up, while trees occasionally fell and blocked roads.
Fire departments were called to numerous incidents due to fires caused by lightning strikes, with one house in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, being hit by a lightning bolt.
The quarterfinal match between Germany and Denmark in Dortmund was temporarily suspended due to the storm, with powerful lightning bolts, hail, and heavy rain affecting the pitch.
After a 25-minute pause, the game resumed, and the public viewing events in Dortmund were cancelled due to the storm's dangerous conditions.
In Mainz, the public viewing event and the SWR3 Rheinland-Pfalz Open Air concert had to be cancelled due to the storm, affecting nearly 10,000 attendees.
In France, three people were killed when a tree uprooted and crashed into a car on a country road, with several people reported missing in Switzerland after a landslide.
Significant disruptions were reported on the roads and rails due to the storm, with some train lines briefly closed due to lightning strikes.
As the new week began, the DWD forecasted changeable and cooler weather, with rain expected and a possibility of thunderstorms, with warmer weather only predicted for the coming weekend.