Warnings of Severe Storms in Southern and Eastern Germany
Intense storms loom ominously in southern and eastern Germany, posing significant threats.
Dive into this week's weather forecast for Germany, where stormy skies loom in the South and East. Brace yourselves for heavy rain, hail, and blustering winds, with potential for locally intense situations. So, buckle up - we're becoming the eye of a meteorological maelstrom!
The German Weather Service (DWD) issues a stern warning for Sunday afternoon, specifically in the Southern and Eastern regions of the country. They predict a potential hailstorm, downpour, and wind gusts aproaching 100 km/h that could create quite the spectacle - and quite the ruckus!
Take note, these storms may be so fierce that gargantuan hailstones of up to 3 cm might fall, and winds reaching speeds akin to a fast car might sweep through certain areas. Desperate rainfall, up to 40 liters per square meter in a brief span, or more than 60 liters per square meter over a couple of hours, is also expected.
A Calmer Week Ahead
Bid the wild weekend adieu, as calm begins to return as early as next week. Expect rain and clouds in the Eastern and Southern regions on Monday, with occasional showers. The rest of the week promises some sunshine, too, particularly in the Southwest and North Sea. The mercury's expected to hit a high of 20 to 26 degrees Celsius.
Last Saturday and Sunday night witnessed some smashing thunderstorms, especially in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia. The emergency services in Paderborn were kept quite busy, dealing with storm-devastated basements and floodwater-soaked rooms. No one was reported injured, but the Paderborn police confirmed receiving over 400 emergency calls between 7 and 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Unravelling the Possibility of a Tornado: The Mystery of Paderborn
A car miraculously found its way into a rain retention basin in Paderborn's Benhausen district on Sunday morning. The fire department was called, as it was initially unclear whether anyone was inside the vechicle. Thanks to a quick response and the vehicle's owner's timely confirmation, it was discovered that the car had been abandoned by its owner the previous day due to flooding.
Multiple eyewitnesses reported a suspected tornado in the small town of Altenbeken near Paderborn on Sunday. Whirling vortexes and funnel clouds were spotted beneath thunderclouds, leading to speculation that a tornado may have touched down. The German Weather Service plans to investigate whether a tornado occurred near Paderborn in the coming days.
While Altenbeken seemed the epicenter of the tornado buzz, other parts of Germany did not escape the storm's wrath. Detmold, Bielefeld, and several other locales experienced numerous incidents, including fallen trees, flooded roads, and traffic disruptions. A particularly unfortunate incident in Gymnich in Rhein-Erft district resulted in a house fire after a lightning strike.
Now, it's worth noting that a genuine tornado slammed into Paderborn back in May 2022, causing widespread destruction and resulting in injuries. As for the rumored June 15, 2025, tornado event, there's little concrete evidence to support it at present[1][2].
Source: ntv.de, hvo/dpa
- Weather
- Tornado Lore
- Incidentally, a Peculiar Find: a Car in a Retention Basin
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I can definitively state that the weather-forecasting tools predicted a tornado in Paderborn during the recent storms.
Even though weather-forecasting models predicted severe weather conditions, including stormy skies, hailstorms, and heavy winds, they did not specifically mention a tornado in the forecast for the region.
