Storm kills man in Karlsruhe, wildfire continues in Meck-Pom

Different corners of Germany are facing different kinds of extreme summer weather this week. A hailstorm and hurricane-force gusts have killed one person in Baden-Württemberg, and wildfires persist in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

One dead in Karlsruhe storm

Heavy rain, large hailstones and hurricane gusts hit parts of Baden-Württemberg on Thursday, July 16, killing one man and injuring several people. According to police, the man was killed by a falling tree while cycling in Karlsruhe.

Further south, in Kressbonn near Lake Constance, a family was injured after a 30-foot tree fell on a row of camper vans. In Esslingen, southeast of Stuttgart, a wooden carport collapsed, crushing four cars.

The severe weather warning issued by the German Weather Service (DWD) on Thursday evening has now been removed, but the DWD expects stormy conditions to persist on Friday and Saturday.

National park wildfire continues in Meck-Pom

Just as climate scientists have long warned, human-made climate change means extreme weather is, and will continue to become, more regular in Germany. As heavy rain and hail hit Baden-Württemberg, a wildfire persists in Müritz National Park, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The fire broke out on Monday, and around 400 people from surrounding villages were evacuated. An all-clear was issued, but then retracted on Tuesday. Around 300 emergency service workers have been on site to control the fire.

On Wednesday, operations were further complicated when buried munitions from an old military training ground exploded. Firefighters have since been forced to stay at least 1.000 metres from the flames, making any attempts to control the fire futile.

According to recent reports from the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, as of Friday morning, the fire has affected an area of about 360 hectares, equivalent to about 504 football pitches. From the air, emergency workers report seeing few open flames, but heavy smoke and embers persist.