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Children sledding in Leipzig
Photo:
Jan Woitas / dpa
At the end of the cold spell, winter presents itself from its pleasant side in many parts of Germany: frosty but beautiful.
Hoch »Helida« has largely ended the turbulent weather of the past few days with violent storms, many people can enjoy the walk outside on the weekend.
"Before the cold air gets increasingly on the collar in the coming week, we are facing another cold but wonderfully sunny winter weekend," said meteorologist Adrian Leyser from the German Weather Service (DWD).
The worst frost in Germany is over for now: "The bottom of the extraordinary cold spell in Germany seems to have passed," says Leyser.
»Helida« ensures plenty of sunshine and blue skies - at least where local fog fields dissolve.
The cutting east wind, strong in gusts to stormy, in the south-west is also slowly decreasing, according to DWD information.
This makes obstruction from snowdrifts less likely.
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Icicles on a bridge on the Flensburg Fjord
Photo: Frank Molter / dpa
Meanwhile, a new trend has established itself during shutdown and winter weather: ice bathing.
Whether on the North and Baltic Seas, on Lake Starnberg or on the Isar in Munich - in many places you suddenly see people in the cold water.
In some places, the associations of Kaltwasser-Freunde are also enjoying significant numbers.
However, caution is advised when bathing in icy waters.
That was evident these days in Berlin.
There a man died while swimming in a pond.
"Bathing in the ice is life-threatening," warned the fire department.
But even more harmless activities are currently occupying the emergency rooms: "Due to the winter weather, people of all ages fall and are admitted to hospitals with injuries of all kinds," said accident surgeon Felix Walcher from the Magdeburg University Hospital.
Accidents occur every year with snow and ice, which the clinics would expect.
However, the severe frost means a hard time for many homeless people.
In Berlin, the number of cold help places for them was further increased.
According to the Senate Department for Social Affairs, there are currently more than 1,500 places available, according to the information, more than ever.
If necessary, it is possible to put other facilities into operation, said a spokesman: "We are monitoring the situation."
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"Flower of Life": work of art by the artist Michael Uy in Jacobsdorf (Brandenburg)
Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa
In the coming days it will remain frosty in many places.
Exceptions are areas along the Rhine and its tributaries, where temperatures above freezing point are most likely to be expected.
Otherwise the maximum values on Sunday are between minus five and zero degrees.
From Monday onwards, however, the low foothills ensure inconsistent weather, but also significantly milder Atlantic air.
According to the DWD, "a severe weather situation with significant restrictions in road and rail traffic" is possible.
The maximum values are then between minus four and plus four degrees by the middle of the week, in the west and south-west even maximum temperatures of eight degrees can be reached.
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fdi / dpa
