West prohibits fan gatherings due to security concerns.
Tough break for soccer enthusiasts in Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Cologne: The fan zones for the EM are off-limits today due to dangerous thunderstorms with the potential for massive rainfall, which are forecasted to hit. The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued a warning about possible tornadoes and hail.
As a result of the impending storms in western Germany, the official fan zones in the EM locations Düsseldorf, Dortmund, and Gelsenkirchen will be shut down today, on Tuesday. The cities have made the announcement. The DWD is issuing alerts for partly intense thunderstorms with significant rainfall potential, which are expected to form from midday onwards from the west and have already affected parts of southwestern Germany.
According to the DWD's warning, there is a "severe thunderstorm situation with the risk of locally large hail up to 2-5 cm, strong wind gusts or hurricane-force winds, as well as heavy rain." In western and central Germany, "isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out."
"Safety of Spectators is our Top Priority"
"To ensure the safety of all spectators and soccer fans, the host city coordination committee has decided to close the fan zones," mentioned Duesseldorf. Cologne also cancelled all events related to the European Championship: "We're holding out hope that we can celebrate together again on the following Wednesday! Stay tuned!" In North Rhine-Westphalia, matches will take place in Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, and Cologne on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, one of the two matches in NRW is scheduled to occur: In Group F, Turkey goes up against Georgia in Dortmund at 6:00 PM (RTL and Magenta TV). At 9:00 PM (ARD and Magenta TV and both in the liveticker on ntv.de), Portugal, with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, takes on the Czech Republic in Leipzig to secure a spot in the tournament.
"Fans without a ticket are explicitly asked not to travel to Dortmund," wrote Dortmund, where both the fan zone at Friedensplatz and the public viewing in Westfalenpark will remain closed. "Dortmund was excited about a massive fan party with tens of thousands of Turkish and Georgian fans in the city and had prepared for it," said Martin Sauer, representative of Dortmund for the EURO 2024. "The safety of the fans in our city is our top priority."
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Despite the challenging weather conditions predicted by the German Weather Service, the European Football Championship 2024 matches in Düsseldorf, Dortmund, and other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia will still take place. Unfortunately, extreme weather, including tornado warnings and heavy rainfall, has led to the closure of fan zones in these cities for safety reasons. This decision was made by city coordination committees to prioritize the safety of spectators and soccer fans.
