Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Storm “Axel” has caused widespread chaos across Germany over the past couple of days, as heavy rainfall, strong winds and thunderstorms have caused flooding, fires and travel disruptions.
The extreme weather front, dubbed “Tief Axel” by the German media, began on Monday afternoon and is expected to continue until at least Wednesday morning in some federal states. The country was deluged with heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning, and even a tornado. In North-Rhine Westphalia and Hesse, up to 50 litres of rain fell in the space of just six hours, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
Northern federal states also experienced their fair share of rainfall, with lightning strikes causing several thatched roofs to catch fire in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. Thankfully, it appears that the worst is now over for the north, as the heaviest rainfall makes its way south. However, severe weather warnings are still in place for Germany’s southern federal states, with some weather stations reporting four to nine litres of rainfall per hour in the hilly Alpine regions.
The extreme weather has caused flooding in some parts of the country: Wangan in Baden-Württemberg triggered a flood alert at 1.30am this morning, after the river exceeded the 2,3-metre mark. In Thuringia and Hesse, people are wading knee-deep in water after streets, basements and a youth club were flooded by the heavy rain. In Helmstadt in Lower Saxony, a hospital had to be evacuated by emergency services after a blocked drainpipe led to a build-up of rainwater on the roof, eventually causing it to collapse.
Inevitably, the deluge of water has also brought widespread disruption to transportation. Multiple train services have been suspended due to flooding and the risk of landslides. The heavy rain has also caused numerous road closures and accidents. In the Bavarian town of Aurach, a man has sadly died after his car skidded off the flooded Autobahn and became trapped between two trees.
Travel restrictions across many parts of the south of Germany are expected to continue for the rest of the day, according to local authorities, so make sure you check the situation before you travel. Road users are advised to take extra care while driving and to avoid unnecessary journeys.
Looking forward, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a bright spot of sunshine on the horizon: from Wednesday onwards, it will be noticeably more summery as the rain clears off, the sun arrives and the temperatures begin to climb above 20 degrees.