"Zoltan" sweeps across the country - disruptions to rail traffic

Weather - "Zoltan" sweeps across the country - disruptions to rail traffic

Storm "Zoltan" is causing major disruption to the Christmas travel plans of many rail customers. Due to storm damage, there will be delays and train cancellations on Deutsche Bahn's nationwide long-distance services on Friday, as announced by Deutsche Bahn on its website. Rail routes in the north were particularly badly affected. Cancellations or delays could also occur on the connections between Hamburg and Frankfurt as well as Hamburg and Munich, and some stops could also be canceled. In Hamburg, the water of the Elbe is expected to rise even higher than initially assumed this morning due to the storm surge.

Railroad spokeswoman: "All evacuation teams on the way"

In northern Germany in particular, but also in parts of Hesse, fallen trees damaged overhead lines or blocked routes. " DB is using heavy equipment to clear the lines as quickly as possible. All clearing teams are on the road with repair vehicles to remove trees from track areas and repair overhead lines," said a DB spokeswoman.

The company recommends that passengers check the timetable information in the "DB Navigator" app or on bahn.de before starting their journey. All passengers who have to postpone their planned journey on Friday due to the storm can use their ticket at a later date, according to Deutsche Bahn. The train connection has been canceled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even if the route is changed. Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.

An S-Bahn train ran over a fallen tree in Hamburg shortly before midnight. The train was traveling at around 40 kilometers per hour and the driver had to initiate emergency braking, according to the Federal Police. None of the 26 passengers were injured. They were taken out of the carriages by the fire department after the emergency services had cut the tree free and removed it from the track area.

Hamburg fish market completely flooded

The water of the Elbe pushed the heavy storm surge ashore, completely flooding the Hamburg fish market and the surrounding streets. The water was waist-high in places. As not all cars were driven away in time, they were also flooded. During the night, the fire department and police were out and about in the region searching for people in the vehicles still parked in the flooded area.

Due to the expected effects of the severe storm surge, the central disaster team of the Hamburg Interior Ministry has been on duty since Friday morning. "A water level of 5.20 meters is expected, which corresponds to water level 1, and the disaster team is therefore taking up its duties," a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry told the German Press Agency in Hamburg. These meters refer to sea level. 5.20 meters correspond to a water level of 3.05 meters above mean high water.

Warning of severe storm surge on Friday morning

The German North Sea coast and Hamburg are at risk of a severe storm surge on Friday. The water levels of the Elbe will rise higher than initially assumed on Friday afternoon. Hamburg's interior authorities and the police therefore warned of a water level of 3.25 meters above mean high water at the St. Pauli gauge on Friday morning. The initial assumption was 3.05 meters.

The police warned against entering flooded areas of the Elbe and driving through flooded streets. "Even a low water level can hinder steering." The storm warning sirens could already be heard in the city area in the morning. Warnings have also been distributed to the population via social media and warning apps.

Experts from the BSH also predicted severe storm surges for the East Frisian coast and the Weser region on Friday. The high tides there are expected to be 2.5 meters to 3 meters above the average value in the morning and at midday. On the North Frisian coast, water levels of 2 meters to 2.5 meters above mean high tide are expected. A storm surge is considered severe from a water level of 2.5 meters above mean high tide.

"Zoltan" is expected to become stronger again on Friday evening

"Zoltan" will continue to bring strong winds to the coast on Friday. During the course of the day, the wind is expected to ease somewhat, but then pick up again in the evening hours, as Anne Wiese, meteorologist at the German Weather Service (DWD), said on Friday morning. According to the DWD, gale-force gusts of more than 100 kilometers per hour are possible in the evening. In the second half of the night, the wind is expected to decrease somewhat and then become stronger again on Saturday evening, although not as strong as on Friday.

Storm affects operations at Frankfurt Airport

"Zoltan" also affected operations at Frankfurt Airport, but according to the airport operator Fraport, the situation had returned to normal by Friday. A spokesperson reported delays on Thursday evening and 43 take-offs after 23:00. At Germany's largest airport, there is actually a ban on night flights from 11.00 pm. However, there were no flight cancellations due to the storm, the spokesman added. According to him, normal operations resumed on Friday morning: "All traffic lights are green."

Many traffic accidents due to wind and fallen trees

In many places, "Zoltan" caused traffic accidents, for example in Schleswig-Holstein: three people were injured, according to the police. The emergency services in Schleswig-Holstein reported a total of 364 incidents.

In the Schleswig-Flensburg district, a person crashed their car into a tree lying on the road in Fahrdorf and was seriously injured. On the B200 in Janneby, a truck tipped onto its side and skidded into a ditch. The driver was slightly injured in the accident on Thursday evening. Due to the strong wind, the vehicle could not initially be recovered in the evening.

A tree fell onto a moving car in Husum on Thursday evening, according to the police. The driver was slightly injured and taken to hospital.

Falling Christmas tree kills woman at Christmas market

Severe storm also in Belgium: At a Christmas market, a woman was killed by a fir tree about 20 meters high. The coniferous tree was unable to withstand a strong gust of wind on Thursday evening, reported the Belga news agency. The tree fell on three people, one of whom died a short time later in hospital from her serious injuries. The scene of the accident at the Christmas market in the city of Oudenaarde was cordoned off and investigated after the accident.

Storm wind tears copper sheet roof off fire station building

A piece of sheet copper roof measuring around five by six meters has been torn off a building belonging to the Plüderhausen fire department in Baden-Württemberg by strong winds. The fire department recovered the piece of roof with a crane, a police spokesman said on Friday. The affected part of the house had been covered again. Nobody was injured in the incident. According to the police, the operation lasted from Thursday evening until late into the night.

Storm warning lifted

Due to the stormy weather, empty trucks and caravans should not cross the Rügen Bridge between Stralsund and Rügen. Instead, they should drive over the lower-lying Rügen dam. Electronic displays in front of the bridge access road instructed drivers on Friday afternoon to take appropriate evasive action. A storm warning of gale-force gusts, particularly on the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, was lifted at midday. However, the weather remained stormy. There were still warnings of heavy squalls.