German man dies after being hit by lightning at top of Zugspitze

As stormy weather swept over the country on Sunday, a young man died after being struck by lightning at the top of the Zugspitze, the tallest mountain in Germany. 

18-year-old man dies on top of Zugspitze in Germany

The 18-year old man from North Rhine-Westphalia lost his life late on Sunday afternoon after he and two friends took the Zugspitzbahn up the mountain in Bavaria, Bild reports. As they were making their way back from the summit, the area was struck several times by lightning, and one of the men received a “fatal electric shock”, according to police. 

The stormy weather made a rescue operation difficult, with all Zugspitzbahn services being temporarily suspended, and the mountain rescue helicopter being unable to take off. For safety reasons, rescue teams had to wait until the storm had passed before they could intervene. The man’s friends, who luckily survived unharmed, are now being cared for by the crisis intervention service. 

The mountain rescue service and the police issued a statement reminding people that heat thunderstorms are a constant threat in Germany over the summer, particularly in the current humid weather conditions, and that all mountain hikes should be “carefully considered”. 

The news comes just one day after a mountaineer fell 300 metres to his death on the Zugspitze. 

Stormy weather causes flooding and damage across Germany

Elsewhere across Germany, stormy weather wreaked havoc on Sunday, causing injuries, isolated patches of flooding and disruption. The town of Quickborn in Schleswig-Holstein was particularly badly affected, with the fire service called out more than 200 times to assist with incidents. 

In Genthin in Saxony-Anhalt, the wind and heavy rain brought flooded streets and roads blocked by fallen trees and branches. In North Rhine-Westphalia, there were two road accidents on the A2, resulting in one man sustaining serious injuries. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) is forecasting that stormy weather will continue to hold sway throughout Monday, with strong winds, heavy rain and patches of hailstorms on the cards. A yellow weather warning remains in place for some parts of northeast Germany, while an orange weather warning is in place in some southern areas of the country. However, the risk of severe weather is significantly lower than it was on Sunday. 

Tuesday’s outlook is also wet and windy in the west, northwest and south of Germany. Elsewhere it should be mostly dry and cloudy, with highs between 21 and 29 degrees. The end of the week should thankfully bring an end to the rain, with dry and cloudy weather on the way, according to the DWD.