After Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate has now also been hit by a severe storm. Extreme heavy rain on Sunday led to flooding and landslides. The DWD warns of renewed storms. Read everything important in the weather ticker.
11.33 a.m.: After persistent rain and flooding in the southwest, it will remain wet in Germany on Whit Monday and in the coming days. On Monday, there will be heavy showers and thunderstorms, especially in the northern half, reported the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach. These could be accompanied by heavy rain and hail in some places. “When going for a walk on Whit Monday, you should keep a close eye on the sky,” said Nico Bauer from the DWD’s forecast center.
On Tuesday, there could be more rain in the flood areas. According to the forecast, thick clouds are expected to form in the southern half and it is expected to rain in the southwest. Strong thunderstorms with heavy rain are also possible from southeast Bavaria to the Eifel. “In some places, storm-like amounts of rain will accumulate,” it was said. In the north, however, it is expected to be sunny. The highest temperatures will be between 28 degrees in the north and 17 degrees in the southwest.
According to the forecast, the rainy weather will move north on Wednesday night. There is then a local risk of severe weather due to strong thunderstorms with heavy rain. In the north, humid weather is expected with temperatures between 22 and 27 degrees, otherwise temperatures are between 17 and 23 degrees.
8.21 a.m.: Heavy rain with 15 liters per square meter is possible in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate in a short period of time on Monday, the DWD announced in the morning. Storm-like quantities of over 25 liters per square meter are therefore unlikely. “It will be interesting on Tuesday,” said meteorologist Markus Böse from the DWD on Sunday in Offenbach. Then some heavy rains developed again, “which from today’s perspective mainly affect the southwest of the country”.
Although the calculated amounts of rain are not as high as last Friday, most of the rain falls within six to twelve hours, said Böse. If the Saarland and the Palatinate are again the focus of rainfall, rising water levels and possibly floods and floods must be expected there again.
7.40 a.m.: According to the local fire department, a thunderstorm cell formed on Pentecost Sunday at the Pentecost tent camp of the Soest district fire department youth in Soest-Ruploh. Lightning then struck the area twice. Since there were people in the vicinity of the lightning strikes and the number of those affected was increasing rapidly, a large contingent of rescue workers, including an emergency doctor, was immediately alerted to the event site.
A total of 38 people were injured and transported to surrounding hospitals for further observation. Those affected were slightly injured, the fire department said in a statement.
In total, around 200 emergency personnel from the fire brigade, German Red Cross, DLRG and Malteser Hilfsdienst as well as the rescue service were on site. The participants of the tent camp were immediately evacuated to safe buildings on the tent camp grounds.
Monday, May 20th, 1:16 a.m.: Children playing discovered an explosive grenade from the Second World War on a stream in Völklingen in Saarland. The grenade was probably washed free due to the flood and was found early on Saturday evening, the police said on Sunday evening. The police explosive ordnance disposal service removed the projectile. There was therefore no danger for residents.
11:28 p.m.: In the flood situation in Rhineland-Palatinate, there was a major operation by the fire brigade and technical relief agency in Auw an der Kyll in the southern Eifel on Sunday evening. The cellars in several houses were full, said a police spokesman in Trier. “So far the situation is relatively relaxed. According to current information, there are no injuries.” Around 130 emergency services are currently on site. The water level of the Kyll – a tributary of the Moselle – is quite high, which is why the floods occurred.
10:04 p.m.: Extreme heavy rain led to flooding and landslides in the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Kirn on Sunday afternoon. The Sulzbach district was most affected, said a police spokesman. According to this, numerous cellars and ground floors were full of water and mud, and some of the district was no longer passable. A landslide also blocked federal highway 41, and the road was then closed. It was initially unclear when it could be released again. According to the police spokesman, no one was injured.
The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of severe weather in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland on Sunday. In both federal states, a warning of extreme thunderstorms of the highest level four was in effect in the evening. There was therefore a great danger to life and limb from, among other things, lightning strikes, falling trees, high-voltage power lines and scaffolding, as well as widespread uncovered roofs and flying objects.
9.33 p.m.: A woman was injured in Saarbrücken during a rescue operation due to flooding in Saarland and later died as a result. The 67-year-old died on Sunday evening, the city announced.
3:54 p.m.: The German Weather Service warns of thunderstorms in large parts of western and northern Germany. In large parts of the country the alert level is orange, and in the Kleve district the alert level is red.
In Berlin, for example, the police warn of strong thunderstorms. The traditional Carnival of Cultures takes place there today. “Take good care of yourself,” warns the police.
9:31 a.m.: Persistent rain caused several fire brigade operations in the Bonn area. The town hall was also affected on Saturday, the fire department announced on Sunday. Rainwater entered the administration building in the center of Bonn, which the emergency services removed. The fire brigade also pumped water from an underpass that had become impassable and also from a blocked underground car park.
In nearby Königswinter, the Rhine overflowed its banks at a ferry pier. Several fairground showmen had to dismantle or relocate their rides at the beach festival in Mondorf – also near Bonn – on Saturday. There, too, waves splashed over the edge of the bank.
7.43 a.m.: As the German Weather Service warns in advance, there will also be strong thunderstorms in Germany on Whit Sunday. The meteorologists write that the storm band extends from North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate across Lower Saxony, Hesse to Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. There is also heavy rain.
The DWD writes: “Showers and thunderstorms will form in some areas from late morning. Heavy rain with 15-25 litres per square metre in one hour is likely in some areas, and in isolated and narrowly limited areas the risk of severe weather with heavy rain of up to 40 litres per square metre in a short space of time cannot be ruled out. In addition, wind gusts of around 65 km/h (Bft 7-8) and small hail are possible. Thunderstorm activity will decrease in the evening.”
Strong thunderstorms are also possible over southern Bavaria from midday onwards. According to the DWD experts, there is heavy rain locally with more than 25 liters per square meter in a short period of time. There could also be larger hail and squalls near the Alps. Here too, the thunderstorms will subside on Monday night.
07.21 a.m.: The Saarland state capital Saarbrücken lifted the major disaster situation after the severe flooding on the night of Pentecost Sunday. In many Saarland communities, water levels are falling and the situation is easing, the police said. The focus is currently on the town of Blieskastel. The inner and old town there are still flooded. Since midnight, however, the water level of the Blies river has also been falling.
Sunday, May 19th, 4:20 a.m.: The development of the flood continues to concern rescue workers and the population in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. The immense damage is only slowly becoming visible. “The flood situation is still serious, but the situation is clearly easing in many areas,” said the Saarland Ministry of the Interior on Saturday. For the most part, the water is slowly receding. On Sunday night the situation was initially unchanged.
“It is simply too early for both clean-up work and assessments of the damage,” said a spokeswoman for the Trier-Saarburg district of the German Press Agency. Drones have now been requested to get an overview of the extent of the damage from above.
You can read more about the current weather situation on the next pages.