Severe weather in Germany: three tornadoes are raging in NRW – the woman is in mortal danger

Created: 05/22/2022, 04:58

By: Julius Fastnacht, Christian Weihrauch

After a thunderstorm front moved over Germany on Thursday, severe storms will also occur on Friday.

A tornado passes through Lippstadt.

• Severe weather warning for NRW on Friday: Heavy rain, hail and also tornadoes and hurricane gusts must be expected.

• NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul: In view of the storm warning, special caution is necessary.

• According to the German Weather Service, Deep Emmelinde is to blame for the severe storm in Germany.

+++ 8.30 a.m .: A

number of tornadoes have been suspected in the severe storms on Friday in Germany, and the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach has now officially confirmed three suspected cases in NRW: Accordingly, Paderborn, Lippstadt and Lütmarsen, a district of the City of Höxter, tornadoes occurred.

+++ 6.46 a.m .:

A tornado in Germany injured numerous people, now the police are giving new details: A total of people suffered injuries, ten of them seriously.

A woman whose life was in danger was transferred to a clinic in Bielefeld on Friday evening, it was said.

Severe weather in Germany: DWD lifts warnings again

+++ Saturday, May 21, 6:15 a.m .:

Severe storms hit Germany on Thursday (May 20) and Friday (May 21).

A man died in Rhineland-Palatinate and there were dozens injured in Paderborn.

Now the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach has good news: the weather in Germany is relaxing.

The DWD lifted all severe weather warnings for Germany at 1:37 a.m.

+++ 10:07 p.m .:

At least one person died in the storm that swept over Germany tonight.

According to the police in Koblenz, the 38-year-old in Wittgert (Westerwald district) suffered an electric shock in a friend's basement, which was flooded after a heavy thunderstorm in the region.

The man fell after being electrocuted and probably hit his head.

Police say attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.

Weather: Severe storms cause restrictions in rail traffic

+++ 8.55 p.m .:

As a result of the severe storms, travelers are currently also having to adjust to restrictions on long-distance traffic on Deutsche Bahn.

In North Rhine-Westphalia in particular, there are several stops, as the group announced on Friday evening.

Accordingly, on the Cologne - Wuppertal - Dortmund/Hamm route, for example, the ICE and IC trains between Cologne and Dortmund will be diverted via Düsseldorf.

"The stops in Solingen, Wuppertal and Hagen will be omitted," it said.

Switching to regional trains is recommended.

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On the long-distance route between Cologne/Düsseldorf and Berlin, there are currently no ICE trains between Bielefeld and Hanover due to an emergency medical service.

It was not immediately known whether the operation was related to the storm.

According to Bahn, the trains are currently waiting for the duration of the operation in neighboring stations.

In addition, intercity trains are currently not running between Hamm and Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe.

"A bus service is being planned," said the railway.

Danger of weather in Germany: "A path of devastation through Paderborn"

+++ 8:16 p.m .:

The police have provided an update on the storm in Paderborn.

In the afternoon, a tornado "pulled a path of devastation from west to east through Paderborn in the direction of the eastern parts of the city."

The municipality of Altenbeken near Paderborn reported that some of the trees had already snapped at the trunk.

For the region, the German weather service DWD had at times issued the highest severe weather warning level 4 - "extreme thunderstorms" with hailstorms, heavy rain or extreme hurricane gusts.

There have been several reports of tornadoes - not only from Lippstadt (see update 7.10 p.m.), but also from Lüdenscheid and Meschede, said a DWD spokesman.

However, these reports still need to be verified.

Debris lies in front of the St. Clemens Catholic Church in Hellinghausen near Lippstadt, the top of which was destroyed by a suspected tornado.

© Friso Gentsch/dpa

Weather danger in Germany: Tornado moves through Lippstadt

+++ 8:03 p.m .:

According to police reports, there was serious damage throughout the Paderborn district, countless roofs were covered, numerous trees were uprooted.

Local public transport, including the train, was severely affected.

The police asked people to stay at home if possible.

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

The fire brigade announced that a tornado "probably passed through" the city in North Rhine-Westphalia in the afternoon (see update from 7:10 p.m.).

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

Injuries are "currently not known".

Weather danger in Germany: 30 to 40 injured in Paderborn

+++ 19:38:

The storm in Paderborn injured 30 to 40 people, "ten of them seriously," said a police spokesman on Friday evening of the AFP news agency.

According to this, "a tornado ripped through the city" in North Rhine-Westphalia and caused damage worth millions.

+++ 7.10 p.m .:

A suspected tornado caused massive damage in Lippstadt (NRW) on Friday afternoon around 5 p.m.

The entire city area was affected, said a fire department spokesman.

Numerous roofs were covered and trees fell on cars.

However, according to previous reports, there were neither deaths nor injuries.

At times, around 120 bathers were trapped in the Cabrioli leisure pool in Lippstadt because fallen trees blocked the entrance.

The trapped people were later freed, the fire brigade reported.

In the district of Hellinghausen, the top of a church fell down due to the storm.

Around 200 to 300 firefighters are deployed.

The Lippstadt fire brigade is supported by forces from several neighboring towns.

The task force in the Soester rescue center is pulling together forces from the region in Lippstadt, it said in a statement.

The first thing to do is to get an overview of the damage.

Weather danger in Germany: Several injured in Paderborn

+++ 6.50 p.m .:

The storm also caused major damage in Paderborn on Friday.

According to the first findings, there were several injuries, said a fire department spokesman in the early evening.

He reported covered roofs and uprooted trees.

A reporter from the German Press Agency reported that they fell on cars.

"It's chaos here right now," said a police spokeswoman.

A suspected tornado also caused massive damage in Lippstadt, about 35 kilometers away, in the afternoon.

+++ 18.45:

Central Hesse is also affected by the thunderstorm front over Germany.

The German Weather Service announced warning level 4 for the Lahn-Dill district, parts of the Gießen and Marburg-Biedenkopf districts, and warned of “extreme storms”.

The warning is in effect until 7 p.m.

Apart from heavy rain, there could be flooding and falling branches – tornadoes are definitely a possibility.

+++ 6.25 p.m .:

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there are now some heavy thunderstorms between the Harz Mountains and the Swabian Alb, which should probably shift eastwards in the next few hours.

+++ 6.13 p.m .:

As the WetterOnline portal reports on Twitter, a large-scale thunderstorm with heavy rainfall is currently announced in the Eifel and in the Ahr Valley.

Danger of weather in Germany: schools in Cologne close

+++ 4:40 p.m .:

Due to the severe weather warnings in North Rhine-Westphalia, the schools in the Cologne administrative district were closed from 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

According to the NRW Ministry of Education, the Abitur rewriting exams and exams at the vocational colleges scheduled for Friday should take place as planned.

Individual events also had to be canceled due to the predicted heavy thunderstorms and precipitation, for example a curiosity in Solingen: the Christmas market there, which had been canceled due to Corona, was to be made up for, which now had to be postponed to Saturday (May 21).

Because of the delays in long-distance traffic, Deutsche Bahn has also announced that passengers can use their booked long-distance tickets flexibly up to and including seven days after the end of the disruption.

Seat reservations could be exchanged free of charge.

+++ 3:15 p.m .:

The German Weather Service issued official severe weather warnings for the south-western areas of North Rhine-Westphalia – a strip from Aachen to Essen.

There could be severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, in some parts also with heavy heavy rain with more than 60 liters per square meter and hail.

People would also have to expect gusts of wind with speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour and hurricane gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

Tornadoes could also occur occasionally.

The storm could hit areas throughout the state from the afternoon into the evening.

Further level 3 and 4 warnings for extreme storms are also to be expected.

Thunderstorms and gusts of wind expected on Friday: the inconspicuous low Emmelinde caused the storm

+++ 1:00 p.m .:

According to the German Weather Service, the small-scale low Emmelinde, which moves from the Benelux countries to the Polish border, is to blame for the violent storms.

The DWD expects heavy gusts of wind up to hurricane gusts.

Extreme heavy rain in a short time can also occur, as well as large hail of up to five centimeters.

Trees are expected to be uprooted, the DWD warns of parts of roof structures flying around.

+++ 12:45 p.m .:

Water and mud devastated streets in Baden-Württemberg on Friday night.

The municipalities of Mundelsheim, Großbottwar and Oberstenfeld were particularly affected by the storm.

The local thoroughfares had to be closed there, according to the police.

Some cars were swept away by the water, but no one was injured.

The fire brigade was deployed with flood barriers to divert the water.

In Oberstenfeld about 50 cellars were full of water, in Mundelsheim there were 25. 

Severe weather in Baden-Württemberg: Water and mud pushed through the streets in the communities of Mundelsheim, Großbottwar and Oberstenfeld.

© Hemmann/dpa

Tornadoes and severe storms on Friday: NRW interior minister calls for particular caution

+++ 12:00 p.m .:

NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) has called on the population to be particularly careful in view of the storm warnings from the German Weather Service.

"Please stay at home.

Avoid spending time outdoors.

In particular, keep your distance from buildings, trees, scaffolding and high-voltage power lines.

Don't go into the basement or lower floors," Reul told the German Press Agency (dpa) on Friday.

Reul advises taking the warning from the DWD very seriously.

People should find out about warning apps like Nina and DWD Warnwetter.

They should also pay attention to siren alarms and radio and loudspeaker announcements.

+++ 11:45 a.m .:

Due to the extreme storms predicted for North Rhine-Westphalia, the State Office for Nature and the Environment in NRW activates the flood information service.

The expected heavy rains could affect the runoff in the water bodies.

There could be flooding in parts of North Rhine-Westphalia due to the heavy rain and the water levels could rise significantly.

On Friday, all schools sponsored by the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate will also remain closed due to the risk of storms.

The district announces this on its website.

The district advises parents of daycare children to look after their children at home.

In addition, people should follow the weather forecasts closely and use the warning apps Katwarn and Nina.

The Ahr Valley had already been devastated by flooding in July 2021, killing more than 100 people.

Thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail and tornadoes: On Friday (May 20th) another storm front will pass through Germany - NRW is particularly affected.

© Andreas Rosar Photo Agency Stuttgart/dpa

Severe weather in Germany: Deutsche Bahn expects trains to be delayed in NRW

First report from Friday, May 20, 11:05

a.m.: full garages, lightning strikes, fallen trees and hail.

The dreaded storm came, but was less violent than predicted.

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the thunderstorm should now move from the west towards northern Germany on Friday (May 20).

Due to weather-related repairs, there will be delays and cancellations in train traffic in NRW on Friday, according to Deutsche Bahn.

The long-distance lines on the route between Cologne and Wuppertal are affected.

Individual trains had to be diverted and were therefore delayed.

Some of the trains may not stop in Hagen, Wuppertal and Solingen.

Travelers should therefore definitely check their connection before driving.

The repairs will probably take until the evening.

According to Deutsche Bahn, travelers could alternatively use S-Bahn and regional trains.

Heavy thunderstorms and hurricane gusts expected in NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate

Thunderstorms are expected to return in many parts of Germany on Friday, especially along the Moselle and Main to the Ore Mountains.

According to the DWD, there should be severe thunderstorms in NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate from noon with an increased risk of severe weather.

Extremely heavy heavy rain, large hail and heavy gusts of wind up to hurricane gusts with speeds between 100 and 130 kilometers per hour are expected locally.

There could even be occasional tornadoes.

On Friday afternoon the thunderstorms will move eastwards, in the evening there may also be some strong thunderstorms in the south of the country, mainly due to heavy rain and hail.

The storm in Germany initially calmed down a bit on Friday night.

The damage was less severe than expected.

Around midnight, the German Weather Service (DWD) initially lifted the existing severe weather warnings.

A storm front with heavy rain, thunder and lightning had previously swept across western Germany.

(ter/chw/dpa)