A storm system from Scandinavia swept over Germany on the weekend, bringing with it hurricane-force winds and flooding. Hamburg and Berlin were seriously affected, with flooding and power cuts being reported in both cities.
A severe storm, known in Germany as Storm Nadia, wreaked havoc in northern Germany over the weekend. Several people were killed by the extreme weather, which also caused public transport to grind to a halt and frequent power cuts. Hurricane-force winds of up to 122kmh were recorded at Kiel lighthouse, which could be felt as far south as Saxony.
Hamburg was particularly affected by the storm, which was christened Storm Malik by the Danish weather service and subsequently adopted internationally. Several streets in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district were flooded and cars were washed away. Other northern states, namely Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, were also issued flood warnings over the weekend. Public transport was severely disrupted throughout Germany’s northern states, with long-distance train services suspended.
Several people across northern Europe were killed by the storm. In Germany, a man in Beelitz, Brandenburg, was killed after he was hit by an election billboard that had been ripped loose by the wind. Several people were injured by falling trees, which was also the cause for a lot of the delays to public transport.
The weather also caused problems on the water, with one ship getting caught under an autobahn bridge in Hamburg. Two of the crew, including the captain, were thrown overboard but both were rescued. A cargo ship was also carried away from the shore by the storm and was left struggling against the weather around 16 miles off the coast of Cuxhaven. Tugboats were sent out and, after a six-hour struggle, managed to bring the ship under control.
Another storm, named Storm Odette in Germany and Storm Corrie internationally, is set to follow Nadia / Malik on Monday. Odette is expected to be much milder than her predecessor, with a much less widespread storm field and slower gusts of wind.
The German Weather Service (DWD) has forecasted snow to fall across the Alps and low western mountain ranges. The snow is expected to get heavier over the next few days, with the DWD warning that 60 centimetres of snow could fall by Wednesday.