Thunderstorm and heavy rain - Weather: Hail in Bavaria, Tornado suspicion in North Rhine-Westphalia
Flooded streets, a tornado warning and a wintry scene in Bavaria: Severe thunderstorms have passed through parts of Germany. In the south of Bavaria, for example, thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain caused basement flooding, flooded streets, and traffic disruptions on Friday evening. In Swabia, some streets were covered in hailstones.
In Baden-Württemberg, fire departments and police were also dealing with flooded streets, accidents, and lightning strikes. According to police reports, several people were injured. For instance, in Ostelsheim in the Kreis Calw, an eight-year-old boy was reportedly struck by an uprooted tree on Friday afternoon. The severity of the child's injuries was initially unclear. In Emmendingen, a rooftop fire broke out in a multi-family house due to a lightning strike on late Friday evening. The police estimated the damage at around 500,000 Euro. The nine residents of the house remained unharmed.
Tornado warning in North Rhine-Westphalia
A thunderstorm also passed over the city of Telgte in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. The German Weather Service (DWD) is now investigating whether it was a tornado. The DWD confirmed this upon request in the morning. The thunderstorm caused significant damage to buildings in a commercial area and moved large shipping containers on Friday.
In the northern part of Germany, emergency services in Lower Saxony had to deal with the storm. Particularly in the Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim, they had a lot to do. In Nordhorn, rescue teams were called out to over 100 incidents late into the night, according to the fire department. At a clinic, so much water came in that the emergency room had to be temporarily closed.
Uncountable lightning strikes in Austria
The Austrian weather service UBIMET recorded 190,000 lightning strikes on Friday - the highest number this year. In southern Carinthia, emergency services were called out to several lakes to rescue swimmers, stand-up paddlers, and surfers who could no longer reach the shore due to the strong wave action. At Vienna Airport, approximately 40 flights were canceled on Friday evening due to the weather conditions.
In the coming week, it could get unsettled again: On Monday, a new low pressure system over France will cause increasing showers and thunderstorms from the west and southwest. In the night, these spread east and northeast.
- Despite the tornado suspicion in North Rhine-Westphalia, the German Weather Service (DWD) is currently investigating if it was indeed a tornado.
- The severe weather conditions in Bavaria have led to a wintry scene, making it reminiscent of the Swabians' house decorations during winter.
- The Fire department in Emmendingen, Baden-Württemberg, was called to a rooftop fire in a multi-family house, caused by a lightning strike.
- The police in Calw, Baden-Württemberg, are looking into an incident where an eight-year-old boy was struck by an uprooted tree, which was a result of the heavy storms.
- In the southern parts of Germany, including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the weather has been leading to flooded streets, accidents, and lightning strikes, causing significant damage.
- The city of Telgte in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, experienced a thunderstorm which might have led to a tornado, leaving buildings with significant damage.
- In the Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim, Lower Saxony, emergency services had to deal with various incidents due to the severe weather conditions, particularly in Nordhorn.
- In Austria, the Austrian weather service UBIMET recorded an exceptional 190,000 lightning strikes on Friday, surpassing their yearly average.
