The hurricane "Sabine" is expected on Sunday in the north and is to sweep across Germany. The train is preparing for major damage - one hopes good timing at Frankfurt Airport.
Offenbach / Main (dpa) - Germany is gearing up for the hurricane "Sabine". According to the German Weather Service (DWD), people on the North Sea are likely to feel the first foothills on Sunday morning.
During the course of the day, "Sabine" then spreads to the entire north and center of Germany with a heavy storm and gale force winds, as the DWD announced on Saturday.
In the middle of Germany the peak of the storm was reached on Monday night, in the south on Monday in the early morning, said Sebastian Altnau from the DWD forecast center. "It hits rush hour traffic there." The hurricane is accompanied in many places by heavy showers and thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn is preparing for possible problems on Sunday. "Travelers who want to postpone their trip to another day due to the expected storm can easily do so," said a railroad spokesman. If you don't want to travel, you can cancel the ticket free of charge. Tickets would also remain valid on the critical days from February 9th through February 11th.
"We have mobilized all readiness and increased it twice in every region," said a rail spokesman on Saturday. The train staff was prepared for damage such as destroyed overhead lines or overturned trees. Mobile task forces with chainsaws should be deployed in order to clear blocked tracks. The staff at the train stations and in the situation centers will also be increased.
"Before you start your journey, we recommend that you also check the rail information media, for example on the Internet or the DB app," said a company spokesman on Saturday at a press conference at Berlin Central Station.
Frankfurt Airport hopes for as few problems in air traffic as possible, since "Sabine" should not hit the center of Germany with full force until the night of Monday. During this time there is a no-fly rule at the air traffic hub. "However, we are monitoring the situation very closely," said a spokeswoman for the airport operator Fraport. Containers on the airport site have already been secured.
The storm could also restrict flight operations at the capital's airports, Tegel and Schönefeld. An airport spokeswoman said that handling is no longer possible from a wind speed of more than 70 kilometers per hour.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, many large cities cancel classes at municipal schools on Monday, as announced on Friday and Saturday. In Baden-Württemberg, parents can have their children exempted from class on Monday.
Other European countries were also preparing for the hurricane low. The Dutch weather service asked drivers not to drive trailers and caravans. The Dutch football association KNVB canceled all matches of the professional leagues on Sunday. As a precaution, the airline KLM canceled dozens of European flights to and from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.
"Sabine" will particularly let off steam in Germany on the North Sea, in the mountains and in particularly exposed locations. According to the DWD, hurricane gusts are generally to be expected there. From a wind force of 118 kilometers per hour, it is a hurricane. "On the Brocken in the Harz Mountains, the Feldberg in the Black Forest and on the Alpine peaks, the wind can reach speeds of more than 140 kilometers per hour," said Altnau.
On Monday, the hurricane low will mainly sweep through southern Germany, otherwise the gusts will ease somewhat. However, it remains quite uncomfortable with a lot of rain, in the mountains also snow. The prospects are not much better for Tuesday either: it will stay wet and stormy.
German Weather Service
Warning notice from Deutsche Bahn