logo
Germany updates: Severe storms hit several states – DW – 06/01/2025

Germany updates: Severe storms hit several states – DW – 06/01/2025

DW5 days ago

06/01/2025
June 1, 2025 Storms caused damage in parts of Germany overnight
Hail as big as ping pong balls hit many parts of Germany over the weekend Image: Bernd März/imago images
Strong thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail, and gusty winds caused chaos in parts of Germany over the weekend.
In the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in particular, the storms have flooded basements and streets and uprooted trees.
Within a few hours, there were hundreds of emergency calls. However, no injuries were reported.
Some outdoor events had to be canceled at short notice, including an open-air concert on Münsterplatz in Ulm in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg and the 3RIDES Gran Fondo race in Aachen.
Today, the weather is expected to be warm, but occasionally unpleasant. The south, central, and eastern parts of the country are mainly affected, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nine injured after plane hit severe turbulence in southern Germany
Nine injured after plane hit severe turbulence in southern Germany

Local Germany

timea day ago

  • Local Germany

Nine injured after plane hit severe turbulence in southern Germany

A passenger plan was forced to make an unscheduled landing at Memmingen Airport late on Wednesday night due to turbulence as storms lashed southern Germany. Nine people on board were injured. According to police statements, the plane was a Ryanair aircraft with 179 passengers and six crew members on board, travelling from Berlin to Milan. The plane encountered such severe turbulence during the flight that eight passengers and one crew member were injured. Three were taken to hospital for treatment: a two-year-old child suffered bruises, a woman suffered a head laceration, and another passenger complained of back pain. According to police, as of Thursday morning the airline was organizing buses for the passengers' onward journey after the South Bavarian Aviation Authority withheld approval for a continuation of the flight. Severe weather brough by storm 'Tim' Emergency services were busy elsewhere during the night as storm "Tim" brought heavy rain, high winds and thunderstorms to parts of southern Germany. In Baden-Württemberg, the storm damaged several houses in Ulm. According to a fire department spokesperson, the roofs of several terraced houses were blown off in the Donaustetten district. No injuries were reported. The German Weather Service (DWD) is investigating whether a tornado passed through the area. A DWD spokesperson said that clarity should be available during the course of the day. In northern Upper Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate, there were around 50 fire department calls due to the storm, and just under 40 in Lower Bavaria. According to the police, most of the calls were for flooded drains, fallen trees, or water-filled basements. Advertisement In Munich, the start of the Nations League football match between Germany and Portugal was delayed by hail. Possibility of storms on Thursday The DWD expects showers with brief thunderstorms and heavy rain in north-western Germany on Thursday. In the course of the afternoon, there will be more severe thunderstorms and heavy rain showers across central and eastern Germany. Isolated storms with hailstones about two centimetres in size are possible, according to the DWD. With reporting by DPA.

Germany updates: Severe storms hit several states – DW – 06/01/2025
Germany updates: Severe storms hit several states – DW – 06/01/2025

DW

time5 days ago

  • DW

Germany updates: Severe storms hit several states – DW – 06/01/2025

06/01/2025 June 1, 2025 Storms caused damage in parts of Germany overnight Hail as big as ping pong balls hit many parts of Germany over the weekend Image: Bernd März/imago images Strong thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail, and gusty winds caused chaos in parts of Germany over the weekend. In the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in particular, the storms have flooded basements and streets and uprooted trees. Within a few hours, there were hundreds of emergency calls. However, no injuries were reported. Some outdoor events had to be canceled at short notice, including an open-air concert on Münsterplatz in Ulm in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg and the 3RIDES Gran Fondo race in Aachen. Today, the weather is expected to be warm, but occasionally unpleasant. The south, central, and eastern parts of the country are mainly affected, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

Do I need to prepare for water shortages in Germany this summer?
Do I need to prepare for water shortages in Germany this summer?

Local Germany

time20-05-2025

  • Local Germany

Do I need to prepare for water shortages in Germany this summer?

While parts of southern Europe, like Spain , have seen entirely too much rain in recent weeks, Germany has been having one of the driest springs on record. The lack of rain has meant a number of warm and sunny weekends early on this year – downright enjoyable weather for picnic goers and early spring hikers and campers. But it also means that Germany's arable land is parched, its rivers are running low and wildfire risk is already rising. If the drought continues to intensify through the summer, some regions could see water resources run low by the end of the summer and the economic impacts would be significant. How dry is it? From the beginning of February to mid-April, Germany had not seen so little rainfall since 1931, according to the German Weather Service (DWD). If May remains mostly rain-free, it could be the driest spring since weather records began in 1881. DWD notes the driest spring to date was in 1893 when only 85.3 millimetres of precipitation fell. That's followed by the spring of 2011 with 89.5 millimetres. In March and April of this year, 47.3 millimetres have fallen throughout Germany, and in May so far about 13 millimetres were added, according to DWD data. Without further precipitation, the total would add up to about 60 millimetres – a strikingly scarce amount of water. Experts aren't calling it a record breaking drought just yet – some weather models are calling for increased precipitation toward the end of this month, and the verdict is out on whether this summer will bring further drought or maybe more intense rain. Advertisement But no matter how you look at it, this year has been remarkably dry so far. It can be seen as yet another example of how human-caused climate change is intensifying weather extremes in Germany and around the world. For many weeks, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig has been showing widespread drought in the topsoil up to a depth of 25 centimetres, especially in the north and east of Germany. "It is not unusual for the drought monitor to go deep into the red for a short time,' said Andreas Marx, head of the German drought monitor at UFZ, 'But it is unusual for it to have been red for so long now." Maps compiled by UFZ Drought Monitor based on data from the German Weather Service. Where is affected? As is seen in recent maps composed by the UFZ, virtually all of Germany is experiencing a rainfall deficit. But in parts of North Rhine Westphalia, Northern Hesse, Thuringia and Leipzig this was eased somewhat by recent rains. Advertisement In a recent interview with Focus Magazine , hydrologist Dr. Dietrich Borchardt, notes that currently regions in the Harz mountains, southern Hesse, Franconia and parts of Brandenburg are seeing exceptionally dry soils. The lack of rain is also affecting Germany's lakes and rivers. Lake Constance, typically known to be a beautiful summer vacation spot, is currently extremely low, for example. The Rhine River has also seen remarkably low levels this spring. The Rhine serves as an important shipping lane for Germany and central Europe, and by mid-April cargo ships were only able to be loaded to half-capacity due to low water levels south of Duisburg and Cologne. Following some rainfall in April, Reuters reported that ships were able to up their carrying capacities again. But more sustained rainfall is needed to keep water levels up. READ ALSO: 8 places in North Rhine-Westphalia to escape the heat this summer According to Borchardt, scarcity in drinking water resources is not likely in most of the country, but there could be restrictions in some municipalities due to insufficient storage or pumping capacities. Borchardt named Erkner, near Berlin, as one example of a place where there is an actual shortage of water resources. Is there anything I should do to prepare? A significant amount of Germany's water resources are used for 'drinking water'. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), around 4.67 billion cubic metres of drinking water was used in 2022 – that's compared to 6.59 billion cubic metres that was used in the energy sector or just over three billion cubic metres that was used for chemical manufacturing. Of the drinking water that was used, around 80 percent of it went to private households and small businesses, whereas around 20 percent went to large commercial buyers. So taking action to reduce your own water use can be a meaningful contribution to reducing water demand. A view of the Rhine in Oberkassel with the old town in the background. The water level here is at an historic low. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Rolf Vennenbernd When it comes to household water use, gardeners and pool owners use a lot. Finding ways to irrigate your garden more efficiently – for example with drip irrigation – can make a big difference. You may also consider how you plant and manage your garden. Whereas many gardeners sew sparse vegetable beds with lots of barren soil in between, it makes more sense to promote ground cover by planting more densely and use mulch or even allow weeds to fill in between. You can also use hedges or trees for shade to prevent the sun from drawing too much water from the soil. READ ALSO: From swamp to sponge - Berlin harnesses rain to adapt to climate shift Advertisement Also, Germany's Environmental Agency ( Umwelt Bundesamt ) recommends watering in the mornings or evenings instead of at midday. Taking shorter showers instead of baths and investing in water saving appliances at home can also help reduce your use.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store