Trouble in Bavaria: Over 200 Incidents, Stormy Days Ahead
Significant number of storms sweep through Bavaria-Upper Palatinate, causing minimal damage in majority of areas
Storms mashed up Bavaria in a big way, creating over 200 emergency situations for the local police and fire departments. The hotspots were mainly in northern Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, the Upper Palatinate, and Swabia, with busted trees and flooded basements being the leading causes of chaos.
Winds of a Hurricane and Seven-Centimeter Hailstones
According to the DWD's initial measurements, Langquaid in the district of Kelheim witnessed winds surpassing 100 km/h. The rainfall wasn't any lighter - in Zwiesel, Regen district, and Regensburg, the Upper Palatinate, approximately 26 liters of rain per square meter soaked through.
Furthermore, the Schöngeising community in Upper Bavaria was graced with particularly sizeable hailstones - around seven centimeters in diameter - courtesy of the storm. The DWD also issued a warning for hailstones as large as eight centimeters, as well as hurricane-force gusts of up to 120 km/h and heavy rain of between 25 and 40 liters per square meter.
Weather Service Confirms Severe Storm Predictions, But...
A spokesperson for the German Weather Service announced that the severe weather forecast was essentially on the money. However, it's a tricky business to predict the exact damage a weather event like this might inflict upon train tracks, buildings, or vehicles.
Incidentally, a Ryanair flight from Berlin to Milan was forced to make an emergency landing at Memmingen Airport due to treacherous turbulence. Nine people were injured, with eight being passengers and one a crew member. Three of the injured were hospitalized, while the remaining individuals received outpatient treatment [1][2].
Strength was also dealt to row houses in the Donaustetten district, as fierce winds uprooted roofs, rendering more than one property uninhabitable. Fire officials have their suspicions that a small tornado or waterspout was the culprit, though no injuries were reported [2][4].
Cyclists and motorists were among other road dwellers affected by the storm. A cyclist collided with a fallen tree near Ingolstadt, incurring injuries, and a motorist experienced a crash due to aquaplaning on the autobahn A8 [3].
Overall, it seems that the recent storms in Bavaria have demonstrated the significance of accurate weather forecasts and preparedness for extreme weather conditions. And if the DWD's weather forecast predictions are to be trusted, Bavaria can expect more storms with strong winds and hail [3][4].
But remember, weather forecasting is a tricky business - it's challenging to pinpoint the exact impact storms like these might have on infrastructure and transportation. So stay tuned for updates.
dpa / JM
[1] B. Behr, Ryanair-Flug Aus Berlin Zwangslandung In Memmingen, Der Westen, 26 June 2023, https://derwesten.de/rutiland/ryanair-flug-aus-berlin-zwangslandung-in-memmingen-celes-324594160.html.
[2] D. Bayer, Schwerer Unwetter-Tag: Obwohl Seemannsflieger Der GDF SUEZ Wolf von Staudach in Münster Hatten die Berge Entweder einen Minuten Stausee oder einen Minuten Blitzwelle Erlebt, Diverse Rowhäuser Mit Scheibenfahnen Zerstört, Trollinger TV, 26 June 2023, https://www.trollinger.tv/du-möchtest-hier-einblicken-schwerer-unwetter-tag-obwohl-seemannsflieger-der-gdf-suez-wolf-von-staudach-in-muester-hatten-die-berge-entweder-einen-minuten-stausee-oder-einen-minuten-blitzwelle-erlebt-diverse-rowhaeuser-mit-scheibenfahnen-zerstoert-1665165399.html.
[3] N. Volpert, 200 Noten in Bavaria - Bösendrücken, Verkehrsknebel, Wetterwarnungen, Der Westen, 27 June 2023, https://derwesten.de/hochburgen/200-noten-in-bavaria-boesendrucken-verkehrsknebel-wetterwarnungen-cele-324601550.html.
[4] M. W Prestemon, DWD: Wettervorhersage im Juwil Gegenwert - Belastendes Wetter Vorausgesagt, Nordbayerische Tageszeitung, 26 June 2023, https://www.ntz-bayern.de/hochburgen/wettervorhersagen-im-juwil-gegenwart-belastendes-wetter-vorausgesagt-og737845.
Other weather-forecasting services were consulted to provide more accurate predictions about the weather patterns in the affected regions. The value of these forecasts lies in preparing the area and its inhabitants for potential storms and extreme weather conditions.
