Intense Weather Lashing Southern and Eastern Germany
Intense storms pose a threat in southern and eastern regions of Germany
Brace yourself, folks! After a stormy weekend in certain parts of Germany, more chaos is brewing in the south and east. Get ready for some heavy rain, massive hail, and fierce winds.
The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued a warning for Sunday afternoon in the south and eastern regions, predicting storms aplenty. It's possible that we'll see massive hailstones up to 3 cm in diameter and wind gusts reaching 100 km/h, locally speaking.
Prepare for some major downpours too! There's a chance we could get up to 40 liters of rain per square meter in a short span, or up to 60 liters in a few hours. This continues through Monday night in the east and southeast, with the storms gradually moving eastward during the second half of the night.
Peace and Calm for the Week Ahead
Things will slowly start taking a turn for the better as we approach the new week, following the tumultuous weekend. On Monday, skies will be mainly cloudy in the east and southeast, with scattered showers around. As the day wears on, though, the entire country will dry up, accompanied by some sunshine and a few robust cumulus clouds, particularly in the southwest and along the North Sea. Temperatures on Monday will range between 20 to 26 degrees Celsius.
Over the weekend, several regions in Germany experienced some strong thunderstorms. In Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, the emergency services were kept pretty busy. Flooded basements were a common sight, and there were no reported injuries, according to a spokesperson for the Paderborn police.
A production hall's roof collapsed under the weight of the water in Paderborn, and the hospital also took a hit. Water seeped into the building and disrupted elevator services. The police department received over 400 emergency calls within three hours from 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Tornado Investigation on the Horizon
On Sunday morning, passersby discovered a car in a rain retention basin in the Paderborn district of Benhausen. Initial uncertainty led the fire department to be summoned, fearing there might be someone trapped inside the vehicle. But the owner of the vehicle assured everyone on-site that they had gotten stuck the day before and left the vehicle.
Eyewitnesses in Altenbeken near Paderborn also reported a possible tornado. Images captured a funnel cloud underneath a thunderstorm, and the German Weather Service will be examining this incident in the coming days to ascertain if it was indeed a tornado.
In various locations like Detmold and Bielefeld, there were countless incidents involving fallen trees, blocked traffic routes, and treacherous road conditions due to mud. Gymnich in the Rhein-Erft district saw a house roof catch fire after a lightning strike.
[Additional Insight: It's worth noting that, while there was a suspected tornado incident, reports have yet to confirm whether it actually occurred. If it did happen, this would be consistent with Paderborn's history of severe weather incidents, including a tornado in May 2022 which brought consequences such as damage and injuries. However, for the recent incident, the verification of a tornado has not been explicitly stated in the available reports.]
Sources: ntv.de, hvo/dpa
- Weather
- Potential Tornado
"- I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I can do this." (This sentence could indicate a lack of weather-forecasting expertise, as the discussion is about intense weather events in Germany.)
"Eyewitnesses in Altenbeken near Paderborn also reported a possible weather event resembling a tornado, with a funnel cloud sighted under a thunderstorm." (This sentence connects the reported weather event with the word 'tornado' and the location Paderborn.)
