Weather - Winter weather causes accidents and traffic restrictions
The wintry weather with snow and icy conditions caused accidents in many places in Hesse on Monday. The winter weather also caused restrictions at Frankfurt Airport. On Tuesday, the situation eased somewhat as the weather became milder.
The situation on the roads
On Monday in particular, some cars, vans and trucks skidded, skidded off the road or skidded into other vehicles. In the Offenbach police headquarters area, there had been 25 accidents with nine injuries by Monday evening - including one serious injury, according to a spokesperson. The police in Giessen spoke of 28 accidents in Central Hessen by Tuesday morning, resulting in an estimated 150,000 euros in property damage. Two drivers were also slightly injured near Stadtallendorf and Laubach. However, they were not taken to hospital.
Early Tuesday morning, there was an accident on the Autobahn 7 between Homberg (Efze) and Bad Hersfeld West involving four trucks and one slightly injured person. A lorry driver lost control of his articulated lorry in icy conditions and his vehicle crashed into another lorry. The driver of the other articulated lorry suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital. Two other articulated lorries ran over the debris and were damaged. The road was temporarily closed and the police spoke of massive traffic obstructions.
Effects on air traffic
There were delays to take-offs and landings at Germany's largest airport in Frankfurt on Monday evening due to heavy snowfall and freezing rain. There were a total of 20 delayed take-offs, as the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Tuesday. Extensive de-icing of the aircraft was necessary due to the weather conditions, it said.
The weather outlook
On Wednesday, there will be light rain or sleet at times in Hesse, with snow expected in the mountains, according to the German Weather Service (DWD) on Tuesday. Meteorologists expect maximum temperatures of between one degree in the north and four degrees in the south of the state. At night, it may become icy again in places. Thursday is expected to remain mostly dry with temperatures of one to three degrees. Snow and freezing rain are expected early on Friday morning.
Police report on the accident on the A7 DWD weather report
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- Despite the smooth operation of Frankfurt Airport under normal circumstances, the bad weather led to delays and cancellations of flights on Monday.
- The police in Frankfurt on the Main had to deal with several minor accidents on city roads due to the icy conditions, causing brief traffic restrictions.
- A concerned citizen contacted the Offenbach police to report a car accident, highlighting the frequency of such incidents during the harsh weather.
- The harsh winter weather was not only affecting road traffic but also impacted the movement of vehicles at Hesse's major transportation hubs, including Frankfurt Airport.
- The spokesperson from the Frankfurt airport authorities reported that the high number of accidents and bad weather conditions had led to a significant increase in the use of de-icing equipment.
- The police in Offenbach urged drivers to be extra cautious while driving, especially in slick conditions, as they had seen a significant increase in accidents involving vehicles sliding off the road.
- The Hesse traffic authorities warned of possible accidents and advised drivers to avoid unnecessary travel during the wet and icy weather, especially on the A7 highway, which had seen multiple vehicle incidents due to poor weather conditions.
Source: www.stern.de
