Severe weather in Germany: Storm low "Emmelinde" causes accidents and damages buildings

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Emergency services at the scene of the accident: A hut collapsed in Central Franconia

Photo: Haubner / dpa

At least one person died in Germany as a result of the storm "Emmelinde" and dozens more were injured.

North Rhine-Westphalia was particularly hard hit on Friday.

There may have been a tornado in Paderborn.

43 people were injured, the local police said on Saturday night.

30 of them are still being treated in the hospital, ten of them are seriously injured.

A woman who was in mortal danger was transferred to a clinic in Bielefeld in the evening, it was said. 

According to a spokesman for the district police, "a tornado had ripped across the city" and caused damage worth millions.

The clean-up and security work in the East Westphalian city continued.

Multiple tornado reports

In view of the constantly increasing wind and many unsecured danger spots, the police called on residents to stay at home.

"Increased dangers from strong winds" can also be expected there for Saturday.

The police, fire brigade and city administration want to comment on the extent of the damage in the morning.

The Paderborn police already spoke of a "path of devastation".

Countless roofs were torn off, numerous trees uprooted.

Public transport was severely affected.

According to the fire department, Lippstadt was also badly hit by the storm.

The fire brigade announced that "a tornado probably passed through the North Rhine-Westphalian city in the afternoon".

A spokesman reported in the evening of "covered roofs, broken shop windows and many fallen trees throughout the city".

Injuries are "currently not known".

The German Weather Service reported several reports of suspected tornadoes.

But they still need to be checked, he said.

Fallen trees, flooded basements, damaged roofs

In Central Franconia in Bavaria, 14 people, including several children, were injured when a wooden hut collapsed during the storm there.

The accident happened on Friday evening in Spalt (Roth district) near the Großer Brombachsee.

According to a police spokeswoman, in view of the storm approaching in Bavaria, several vacationers sought shelter in the approximately 85 square meter hut, which then tipped to the side and collapsed.

According to the current status, the storm in Middle Franconia triggered almost 400 fire brigade operations - mainly because of flooded basements, uprooted trees and damaged house roofs.

Between Neuhaus and Hersbruck the railway line was closed because of trees on the tracks.

In Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, there was no major damage despite massive thunderstorms.

Police and rescue workers reported only a few fallen trees, hail damage to cars and flooding of basements.

A 38-year-old man died in Rhineland-Palatinate when he suffered an electric shock when entering a flooded basement, which caused him to fall and probably hit his head, the police said.

In the district of Bernkastel-Wittlich, five people were injured in a car accident on a rain-soaked country road, including a three-year-old child.

In Thuringia, late on Friday evening, a driver near Dittersdorf in the Saale-Orla district got off the road with his vehicle due to aquaplaning and crashed into a concrete wall, the police said.

He and three passengers suffered minor injuries.

Elsewhere in Thuringia, too, the emergency services had to move out – mainly because of uprooted trees blocking the roads.

Rammstein concert interrupted

In Saxony, the band Rammstein had to interrupt their concert on Friday evening for half an hour due to a thunderstorm over Leipzig.

45 minutes after the start of the show, people in the Red Bull Arena were asked to leave the stadium and seek shelter.

After 15 minutes, the fans were then allowed back into the interior.

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the thunderstorm should move eastwards over Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Saturday.

Before that there may be gusts of wind.

A few thunderstorms are still to be expected in the south.

People in the north-east can expect an alternation of sun and clouds, and it should also be sunny in the south-west, but not as warm as before.

bbr/dpa/AFP