Germany’s turbulent summer weather is showing little sign of settling down. After severe storms from Monday into Tuesday brought flooding, hail and widespread damage in parts of the country, the German Weather Service (DWD) predicts further thunderstorms over the coming days.
Some of the most dramatic scenes were reported in Heidenau in Lower Saxony, south of Hamburg, where hailstones reportedly reached the size of tennis balls, smashing car windows and damaging roofs.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, firefighters dealt with hundreds of weather-related incidents and accumulated hail had to be cleared away with wheel loaders. Heavy rain also led to flooding and dozens of emergency callouts in and around Hanover and Celle.
Storm risk shifts towards central and southern Germany
While the most striking damage so far has been reported in northern Germany, the DWD's main severe-weather warnings on Tuesday were focused on central, southern and eastern Germany.
According to the DWD, thunderstorms are expected to redevelop across central, southern and eastern Germany. That includes areas around Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Dresden and Erfurt. Large hail and gusts of up to 90 km/h are possible.
Parts of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are considered particularly vulnerable after having already been affected by overnight storms.
The main concern is not wind or hail alone but intense downpours. Forecasters warn that some places could receive 25 to 40 litres of rain per square metre in a short period, with even higher totals possible locally.
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Overnight into Wednesday, the storm system is expected to move towards Bavaria, including areas around Munich and the Alpine foothills.
According to the DWD, these localised thunderstorms are triggered by a low-pressure system high up in the atmosphere above a widespread area of very warm to hot air.
A hot week with repeated thunderstorms
For the rest of the week, temperatures are expected to remain firmly in summer territory. Highs will generally reach 27C to 35C, with the hottest conditions in the southwest around cities such as Freiburg and Karlsruhe.
Coastal areas, including around Hamburg, Kiel and Rostock, should stay noticeably cooler.
Wednesday is expected to bring further severe thunderstorms to southern Germany. Thursday looks somewhat calmer, although isolated storms remain possible, especially in the south and northeast.
By Friday, more widespread showers and thunderstorms are forecast from southern Germany through central regions and into the east, with the risk of heavy rain, large hail and strong winds.
At the same time, the northwest and west are expected to see relatively few showers or thunderstorms.
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