IN PICTURES: Torrential rain and flooding leaves trail of destruction across western Germany

The states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have been worst hit by the storms which have caused rivers to burst their banks and threatened to bring down further homes.

LATEST: Storms leave several dead and many missing in western Germany

As these dramatic pictures and tweets show, the extreme weather is heavily affecting towns and villages across the region.

Images of Germany’s “catastrophe”, as chancellor Merkel called the severe flooding that has hit western Germany, killing dozens pic.twitter.com/YPnjkwvE3U

— Thomas Sparrow (@Thomas_Sparrow) July 15, 2021

It's leading to calls from some for urgent action against climate change. 

2 days of non-stop rain = serious flooding in the #Eifel (20 min from Bonn) with reports of 4 deaths & 30 people missing so far#ClimateImpacts are not a joke & we need to stop treating calls for faster #climateaction as naïve as we look to #Bundestagswahl2021 & #Fitfor55 https://t.co/sMeBnDq8ex

— Jennifer Tollmann (@jennytollmann) July 15, 2021

A drone shot (below) captures the flooding in Schuld on Thursday, Rhineland-Palatinate. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Christoph Reichwein

Absolute devastation in Ahrweiler. 42 people have been killed across the region, and dozens more are missing. One local tells me she saw the body of her neighbour as she evacuated today. #Hochwasser pic.twitter.com/tWcN8sNBos

— Trent Murray (@trent_murray) July 15, 2021

Rescue workers survey the flooded streets in Solingen, NRW, on Thursday morning. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Gianni Gattus

My homeland #Eifel was hit very hard by massive rain yesterday. Situation is still critical: Fatalities, damages and still people to be rescued. pic.twitter.com/WfHWQDT0D8

— Lothar Schüller (@LotharSchueller) July 15, 2021

A car submerged in water in Solingen, NRW. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Gianni Gattus

https://twitter.com/COdendahl/status/1415427109686743051?s=20

Another car buried by debris in Hagen, NRW, on Thursday. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

https://twitter.com/jo_mlr/status/1415586632825245696?s=20

 

A person standing on scaffolding in Solingen, NRW, on Thursday morning in a flooded street. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/TNN | Gianni Gattus

https://twitter.com/maltesusen/status/1415588190736502785?s=20

A resident in Hagen, NRW, looks at the damage caused by the severe floods. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

The Bundeswehr (German army) has been called in to assist with the rescue. The picture below shows the army in Hagen, NRW.

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

A fire and rescue employee walking on a flooded street in Kordel, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the middle of the night on Wednesday. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Harald Tittel

Are you affected by the floods? Let us know by emailing [email protected]