Since June 26, severe weather conditions have affected many regions of Germany. Following a period of hot weather, powerful thunderstorms ensued. Heavy rains and lightning strikes halted firefighting efforts and disrupted transportation nationwide. Some road and rail routes had to be closed due to flooding.
In Baden-Württemberg, rail traffic was interrupted on several lines. DB Regio reported that the section between Gerbetingen and Aulendorf was closed, with train services expected to remain suspended until Saturday. Stuttgart's urban railway also experienced disruptions.
The inclement weather also impacted the European Football Championship being held in Germany. In Stuttgart, due to a storm, fans were temporarily evacuated from the fan zone at Schlossplatz. As a result, the public viewing of the championship started significantly later than planned.
Rain also completely flooded the interior of TSG Hoffenheim stadium in southern Baden-Württemberg. Storms caused flooding around Lake Constance, prompting residents to stay away from flooded areas. Fire crews were engaged in pumping water out of flooded basements until evening.
According to the fire department, a campground in Markdorf was evacuated. 200 campers were affected, with no injuries reported.
In Dresden, lightning struck a supermarket, causing a chemical odor to spread. Two employees complained of headaches and nausea, requiring hospitalization.
In Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, up to 100 liters of rain per square meter fell in a short period. Two kilometers of federal highway 239 were flooded, with water levels reaching 60 centimeters on the ring road. Firefighters responded 150 times to pump out flooded basements.
In Hamburg, streets, basements, shops, and underground parking lots were flooded. Hurricane-force winds uprooted numerous trees and partially covered the roof of a residential building.
By evening, Hamburg's fire department had conducted over 700 operations due to weather conditions, clearing flooded basements and streets, and removing uprooted trees, and fallen branches.
The railway line between Bremen and Hamburg was temporarily closed due to track flooding near Tostedt (Harburg district). Long-distance trains were diverted through Hanover, and several regional services were canceled. Early morning services resumed, but travel along the route was restricted to slow speeds. It remains unclear when the situation will normalize.
Many areas in Middle Franconia, including Fürth, are also under a weather warning. In a neighboring city to Nuremberg, rain fell so heavily that water overflowed from manhole covers and collected on the streets.
In Thuringia on the evening of June 27, federal highway 281 near Neuhäus was closed due to flooding. Particularly hard hit was the city of Gerthausen (Röblingen municipality), where the Herpf River overflowed within minutes. Some parts of the city were underwater up to 50 centimeters deep.
The severe weather persisted into the weekend. During a match involving Germany on Saturday, Frankfurt authorities decided to close the fan zone due to a negative forecast from the German Meteorological Service, deeming it unsafe to remain there.
During the Germany-Denmark match in Dortmund, a severe thunderstorm with hail broke out. Lightning struck the stadium. The game was suspended for 30 minutes.
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