Severe storms have battered several European countries for days. They brought thunderstorms, heavy rains, floods, hail, and even tornadoes.
In Slovakia, 135,000 households in the western part of the country temporarily lost power because power lines were damaged by lightning and falling trees. The South particularly suffered damage to railroad lines. Eurocity trains to Budapest and Prague had to be rerouted. The "Pohoda" festival at the Trenčín airport was prematurely canceled after the storm destroyed the venue, injuring several visitors.
Several storms caused significant destruction across much of Germany. The states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Saxony were particularly affected, with hundreds of rescue operations conducted.
In Regensburg and Munich, outdoor events had to be canceled. In the town of Calw, Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded, and roofs were damaged by hail. A child was knocked over by a fallen tree. In the Lake Constance area and Upper Swabia, several houses were damaged by lightning strikes. In the town of Telgte, North Rhine-Westphalia, east of Münster, a tornado-like storm caused severe damage to an industrial park.
Thunderstorms and heavy rains also caused problems in Austria. Meteorological service UBIMET registered 190,000 lightning strikes on Friday, the highest number this year.
In Switzerland, meteorologists recorded 18,800 lightning strikes across the country during severe thunderstorms. In southern Ticino, strong wind gusts reached 62 miles per hour. In Mendrisio, 2.36 inches of rain fell in three hours.
Saturday's hurricanes caused the most damage to the municipality of Slovenska Bistrica in Slovenia, where hail damaged the roofs of many houses. The neighboring municipality of Oplotnica was also severely affected. According to the Civil Protection Headquarters of Slovenska Bistrica, about 350 buildings were damaged, and reports of damage are still coming in. Hail damaged numerous vehicles and destroyed photovoltaic power plants.
Over the past 10 years, damage from such storms in Europe has exceeded losses from winter storms, which are considered the primary and most costly threat in the region. Scientists continue to sound the alarm, and people who care about not only their own fate but also the fate of our society as a whole are trying in every possible way to draw public attention to the issue of increasing cataclysms and finding solutions. To this end, the international forum "Global Crisis. The Responsibility" was organized, presenting a path to solving the vital issue of preserving human life and all life on our planet.