Germany hit by floods as October heat turns into icy spell
Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein were struck by flooding on Sunday after Germany's Indian summer took a sudden cold turn.
After weeks of sunshine and double-digit temperatures, the mercury dropped dramatically in Germany over the weekend, with parts of the north coast also hit by storms and sudden floods.
The Elbe, which flows through Hamburg and down to the south east, experienced the first storm surge of the season. On Saturday afternoon, the fish market in Hamburg was hit by flooding.
According to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), water in the river rose 1.82 metres above mean high water at around 5.30pm. Early on Sunday morning, the peak in St. Pauli remained below the storm surge mark of 1.50 metres.
During the night to Saturday, a cold front with thunderstorms and partly strong gusts had passed through Schleswig-Holstein.
READ ALSO: Ten fun things to do on a rainy day in Hamburg
In Cashagen - a small village near Lübeck - violent storms uprooted trees and ripped the roofs off buildings overnight. No people were injured.
The wet and windy conditions along the coast reflected a sudden drop in temperatures that swept across Germany over the weekend.
The first snowflakes of autumn even fell on Fichtelberg, the highest mountain in Saxony, on Sunday.
People battle through a snowstorm in Oberwiesenthal, Saxony. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd März
As the mercury dropped to minus one, the area in the Ore Mountains was "slightly sugared" with snow, a spokesman for the German Weather Service (DWD) told DPA.
In the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, there was a particularly dramatic drop-off after the record-breaking highs in the first weeks of October.
On Friday, DWD recorded a sweltering 30.1C heat in Rheinfelden and Müllheim - the highest temperatures in October in Germany since weather records began in 1881.
Just two days later, temperatures had plummeted to just 8C near Stuttgart and 13C in Karlsruhe.
READ ALSO: Surviving winter: 8 tips for enjoying the cold like a true German
Looking ahead to the next few days, the chilly spell looks set to continue. In Berlin and Brandenburg, the nip in the air could swiftly turn into sleet or snow later in the week, which may even reach as far north as Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. Temperatures are slated to plunge to as low as 1C by Friday in the region.
In the south, meanwhile, a frosty spell overnight on Monday will gradually dissipate in the coming days, replaced by balmy 20C heat on Thursday.
According to the BSH water level forecast, no further storm surges are expected in the north.
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After weeks of sunshine and double-digit temperatures, the mercury dropped dramatically in Germany over the weekend, with parts of the north coast also hit by storms and sudden floods.
The Elbe, which flows through Hamburg and down to the south east, experienced the first storm surge of the season. On Saturday afternoon, the fish market in Hamburg was hit by flooding.
According to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), water in the river rose 1.82 metres above mean high water at around 5.30pm. Early on Sunday morning, the peak in St. Pauli remained below the storm surge mark of 1.50 metres.
During the night to Saturday, a cold front with thunderstorms and partly strong gusts had passed through Schleswig-Holstein.
READ ALSO: Ten fun things to do on a rainy day in Hamburg
In Cashagen - a small village near Lübeck - violent storms uprooted trees and ripped the roofs off buildings overnight. No people were injured.
The wet and windy conditions along the coast reflected a sudden drop in temperatures that swept across Germany over the weekend.
The first snowflakes of autumn even fell on Fichtelberg, the highest mountain in Saxony, on Sunday.
As the mercury dropped to minus one, the area in the Ore Mountains was "slightly sugared" with snow, a spokesman for the German Weather Service (DWD) told DPA.
In the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, there was a particularly dramatic drop-off after the record-breaking highs in the first weeks of October.
On Friday, DWD recorded a sweltering 30.1C heat in Rheinfelden and Müllheim - the highest temperatures in October in Germany since weather records began in 1881.
Just two days later, temperatures had plummeted to just 8C near Stuttgart and 13C in Karlsruhe.
READ ALSO: Surviving winter: 8 tips for enjoying the cold like a true German
Looking ahead to the next few days, the chilly spell looks set to continue. In Berlin and Brandenburg, the nip in the air could swiftly turn into sleet or snow later in the week, which may even reach as far north as Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. Temperatures are slated to plunge to as low as 1C by Friday in the region.
In the south, meanwhile, a frosty spell overnight on Monday will gradually dissipate in the coming days, replaced by balmy 20C heat on Thursday.
According to the BSH water level forecast, no further storm surges are expected in the north.
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