Just as Germany is still reeling from the effects of Storm Ylenia, another severe weather warning has been issued for Storm Zeynep. The second storm in two days is expected to hit Germany on Friday afternoon, with meteorologists predicting gale force winds and extreme weather in the northern half of the country.
Just one day after Storm Ylenia (also known as Storm Dudley) wreaked chaos across Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) has issued another severe weather warning for Storm Zeynep, which is expected to hit the country on Friday.
Storm Ylenia touched down in Germany in the early hours of Thursday morning, causing chaos across the country, disrupting public transport and grounding flights. The northern and eastern parts of Germany were particularly affected, with primary and secondary schools closing in North Rhine-Westphalia and major flooding reported in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Falling trees also resulted in power outages and, unfortunately, several traffic-related fatalities.
Storm Ylenia gradually blew itself out over Thursday, but residents of Germany were only granted temporary respite from the extreme weather. The DWD said that it expected Storm Zeynep (known as Storm Eunice outside of Germany) to arrive from England as early as midday.
The DWD has predicted that gale-force winds, which could reach up to 160 km / h, will sweep across the country. Germany’s North Sea coast, particularly the area surrounding the mouth of the Elbe River, is expected to be particularly affected by the storm, and storm tide warnings have already been issued for those areas. The storm is then expected to move eastward towards Brandenburg during the night. Zeynep will hopefully have calmed down by Saturday morning, but fairly strong winds will remain throughout the day.
Meteorologists predict that the northern half of Germany will be most affected by the storm, particularly large parts of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Hamburg, Saxony, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The DWD has issued a red storm alert for these areas, lasting from 6pm on Friday 6pm to 4am on Saturday.
Disruptions to public life are expected to continue for the duration of Storm Zeynep. Schools could remain closed, and authorities are asking residents to avoid using public transport or travel during the storm.
Germany’s emergency services, which have been stretched to their limit over the course of Storm Ylenia, are urging people to prepare for strong winds. “Everything on terraces that is not nailed down is best brought in, [or] put in the garage,” Christopher Rehnert, head of the Lüdenscheid fire brigade, told reporters. This includes flower pots on balconies and anything else that could blow away easily and potentially cause damage or harm.