Germany experienced a series of violent thunderstorms between Tuesday night and Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall, hailstorms, and flooding that led to emergency situations in various regions.
The storms particularly impacted North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg. In Bruchsal, the historic center of the Heidelsheim district was submerged after a river overflowed, reaching water levels of 1.50 meters. This prompted local firefighters to issue warnings and assist residents. The Saalbach River, monitored by the hydrographic center, peaked at 2.13 meters around 2:30 AM, surpassing the centennial flood alert threshold of 2.10 meters.
These severe weather events followed an intense heatwave that had pushed temperatures to 36.5 degrees Celsius in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate, marking the hottest day of the year according to preliminary data from the German Meteorological Service.
Across the country, emergency crews responded to reports of flooded basements and streets turned into torrents. Fortunately, no serious injuries or fatalities were reported. In Bruchsal, Heidelsheim district residents were alerted via an emergency app, advising them to move to higher floors for safety. During the rescue efforts, two volunteers sustained injuries, though their condition was not disclosed.
The police in Karlsruhe urged citizens to avoid non-essential travel due to the hazardous weather conditions. Firefighters in the Karlsruhe district carried out over 500 interventions by midnight.
Bavaria also faced severe weather disruptions. An Eurocity train near Bad Endorf was halted after a tree fell onto the tracks, resulting in approximately 260 passengers being transported by bus to Prien, as reported by Deutsche Bahn. Despite the damage to the railway infrastructure, no injuries occurred.
Northern Germany, particularly Aurich in East Frisia, also experienced intense thunderstorms, leading to numerous firefighter interventions. In one incident, 25 residents of a nursing home were relocated to a gymnasium after ceiling tiles became dislodged. Local authorities worked diligently to prevent the evacuation of a hospital while managing the multiple emergencies caused by the heavy rains.
