Storms forecast in Germany after record-breaking heatwave
Forecasters at the German Weather Service (DWD) have warned that torrential rain, gusts of up to 80km/h and hailstones, particularly in the south-east of Germany are possible in the coming days. The warnings are in place in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
Temperatures will also drop all over Germany this week, putting an end to the recent heatwave.
A new record was set on the last day of June when the mercury reached 39.6C in Bernburg an der Saale in Saxony-Anhalt.
On Monday the temperature could still crack the 30C mark in some places in the south but in the North Sea area the maximum temperatures are 18C. In the rest of the country it will be around 24 to 29C, reported Spiegel.
The DWD tweeted about the record-breaking temperature.
Sunday’s temperature broke a previous June record of 38.6 degrees – set just a few days earlier in Coschen in Brandenburg and Bad Muskau in Saxony. The all-time temperature record of 40.3 degrees for Germany has so far remained unbroken.
Tragic accidents
Although residents across Germany made the most of the heat, lining up at pools and lakes, there were some tragic incidents as several people died in bathing accidents across the country.
In the Sauerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia, a man died after getting into difficulty in a lake.
According to police, another man died in water in the Ruhr region after attempts to rescue him on the shore were unsuccessful. Near Karlsruhe, a man’s body was recovered from a lake.
Meanwhile, in Hamburg during the city’s half marathon race on Sunday, several runners collapsed and had to receive medical attention due to the high temperatures.
Six people were also injured after a balcony collapsed under the weight of a paddling pool in Stuttgart.
Police said the wooden balcony on the first floor of the residential and commercial building collapsed to one side, apparently due to the weight of the pool.
The incident occurred early Sunday evening in the westernmost part of the state capital of Baden-Württemberg.
Those injured were between the ages of 21 and 54. One person was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Heat damage
Meanwhile, the A1 motorway near Lübeck was partially closed on Monday morning due to heat damage.
The closure was in place between the junctions Lübeck Moisling and Lübeck Zentrum.
As the Local reported, speed limits were put in place in some parts of the Autobahn due to fears over heat damage.
Article source: https://www.thelocal.de/20190701/storms-forecast-for-parts-of-germany-after-record-breaking-heatwave