Weather - Winter continues: cold, snow - and strikes too
Snow and ice on the roads - but the winter services are on strike: due to warning strikes in the public sector wage dispute between the federal states, there have been restrictions on winter services in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.
However, drivers had adapted to the weather conditions so that there was no traffic chaos, according to the police.
The Verdi trade union had called on road maintenance workers in Lower Saxony and Bremen to go on a 24-hour warning strike from 6 a.m. on Thursday. In Schleswig-Holstein, Verdi called on employees at the state road construction and transport company to strike.
Warning strike delays evacuation somewhat
The wage dispute concerns the salaries of around 1.1 million employees nationwide. Around 1.4 million civil servants, to whom the result is usually transferred, would also be affected. A Verdi spokesperson explained that gritting was still taking place on Wednesday evening and that the clearing by private clearing services would only take a little longer on Thursday morning.
Before the warning strike began, six people were injured in a traffic accident near Grömitz in Schleswig-Holstein, four of them seriously. There, a man drove his car into oncoming traffic on a right-hand bend and collided with another car.
It is expected to remain wintry in Germany for the next few days. According to meteorologist Sebastian Altnau from the German Weather Service, colder air will seep in from the north. Then permafrost is on the program almost nationwide.
On Friday, highs in the south and on the coasts will be between one and five degrees, otherwise temperatures will reach minus four to zero degrees. In the southern and central parts of the country, it will mostly snow, with rain only from the High Rhine to the foothills of the Alps. During the night, heavy snowfall is expected from the south to the eastern low mountain ranges, with temperatures reaching minus eight degrees.
Snow on the Advent weekend
On Saturday, it will snow from the edge of the Alps to Lusatia. "By the evening, one to ten centimetres are expected between the Black Forest and Lower Bavaria, depending on the altitude, and up to 15 centimetres in congested areas in the mountains," the meteorologist announced. Otherwise, there will only be isolated snow showers with dense cloud cover. Temperatures will be between minus five and plus three degrees.
It will continue with similar values on the first Sunday of Advent. There will only be isolated snow showers for the most part, with a little more snow in some areas in the west and southwest.
The German Weather Service (DWD) had issued an official icy weather warning for most of Germany, which was valid until Thursday morning. On Wednesday evening, a Eurowings plane skidded after landing at Hamburg Airport due to black ice. No one was injured, according to a spokeswoman for the airport. Airport operations continued as normal.
Lesen Sie auch:
- The warning strike by the United Services Union impacted winter services in Hanover, adding to the challenges caused by black ice and cold weather.
- Despite the strike and the presence of black ice, the Police in Lower Saxony reported no significant disruptions in traffic due to adaptive driving by motorists.
- The wage dispute between the federal states and Verdi affected not only Schleswig-Holstein but also triggered a warning strike in Bremen, affecting traffic and winter services.
- The anticipated cold weather in Germany, with snow and temperatures as low as minus eight degrees, posed additional challenges to traffic safety in the presence of black ice.
- The traffic accident near Grömitz in Schleswig-Holstein resulted in six injuries, including four serious, due to a man driving his car into oncoming traffic on a right-hand bend, further highlighting the potential dangers on icy roads.
- The German Weather Service forecasted more snow and cold temperatures throughout the weekend, potentially exacerbating the issues with black ice and increasing the chances of traffic accidents.
- Despite the snowfall and low temperatures, a Eurowings plane safely landed at Hamburg Airport, but black ice caused the plane to skid after landing, underscoring the importance of proper de-icing procedures during winter weather.
- The lesson learned from the skidding incident at Hamburg Airport served as a reminder to all airlines to prioritize safety and winter weather preparedness to minimize the risk of accidents caused by black ice.
- The increased awareness of winter weather dangers and potential traffic disruptions in Bremen, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and other parts of Germany led local officials to issue urgent warnings to drivers.
- Motorists were encouraged to exercise caution and adapt their driving styles to the cold weather, rain, snow, and black ice to ensure increased safety on German roads and highways.
- With the collective bargaining conflict and emergency situations arising due to adverse winter weather, the importance of proper planning, communication, and weather forecasting between federal states, unions, and various public and private organizations became crucial to maintaining traffic safety and ensuring the well-being of the German population.
Source: www.stern.de
