Wild Weather Wreaks Havoc in Southern Baden-Württemberg
Severe weather wreaks havoc in the southeastern region of Baden-Württemberg - Severe weather strikes southeastern Baden-Württemberg, leaving destruction in its wake
Take a seat and let me fill you in on the radical weather that ravaged southern Baden-Württemperg, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Cue the drama
A frenzy of heavy rain, ruthless gusts, and hail showers—especially in southern Baden-Württemperg— Atlanta Tim Burr, aka the fire department chief of Ulm, described it as an "intense turbulence" roaring through the streets. This tempest hit Ulm, then barreled its way towards Bavaria.
And boy, did it leave a mess. Multiple homes were ripped apart at the seams, as roofs were sent skyward, rendering numerous row houses uninhabitable. But thankfully, no cheerful folks were harmed in the chaos.
Windstorm, or even twister-town?
Adrian Röhrle, head honcho at the Ulm fire department, hinted at a "little vortex" that carved its way through two or three avenues. And in a circular radius of one kilometer, the damage was severe, ranging from individual shattered roof tiles to complete roof demoli-shambolies. One resident reported total car disorder.
Stay tuned for the official verdict from the German Weather Service (DWD) on whether we're talking tornado here or a strong gust tempest. They plan to share their conclusion on Thursday.
Sirens, warnings, oh my!
The DWD also blared a warning about heavy thunderstorms, bursting with devastating winds, hail, and torrential rain, for the regions of Stuttgart, Freiburg, and Tübingen. They lifted the danger alert a while ago.
Watch out for those falling trees, you say?
The DWD advised that there was an entirely dangerous situation from lightning strikes, hail, and tempestuous winds. Flooding and significant traffic bottlenecks were also expected. The risk of danger from falling trees, high-voltage lines, scaffolding, and other massive debris, falling limbs, or roof tiles was also on the table.
Shattered dreams on the road
There was an elephant-sized potential for hail locally, they said in the afternoon. Super-sized hail, up to eight centimeters, and hurricane-force winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour were reported mega possible between Ostalb and Allgäu. These hailstones could be falling at a whopping 140 kilometers per hour, delivering a hefty wallop, warns another DWD meteorologist. Unprotected people or animals could face a great risk of injury, and these hailstorms could also wreak havoc on rooftops and agriculture alike.
Catch the house on fire, your national anthem?
Heavy rain showers had been pelting parts of Baden-Württemberg since the crack of dawn. According to the DWD, there were already thundershowers and spattering rain in many locales early in the morning.
A thunderstorm rollercoaster in Bad Liebenzell (district of Calw) zapped a house with lightning, touching off a raging inferno. A brave firefighter sustained minor injuries while battling the inferno, as the police reported. To add a silver lining, the house remains livable. The estimated damage? Roughly 150,000 euros.
The firefighters discovered a scorched power line in the attic after hearing the house's smoke alarm and smelling smoky vibes up above. The electricity was promptly cut to the building.
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The Commission seems unperturbed by the wild weather that caused havoc in southern Baden-Württemberg, as it has also adopted a proposal for a Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation.
Despite the catastrophic destruction caused by the weather, it is yet unknown whether the German Weather Service (DWD) will classify the event as a tornado or a strong gust tempest, with their conclusion expected on Thursday.
