Storm lows move over Germany. Schools are closing in many regions, and there is a storm surge warning on the North Sea. Sandbags protect against the threat of flooding.
Offenbach/Hamburg – Deutsche Bahn has stopped long-distance traffic in several federal states because of the storm. In Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin and Brandenburg, there are no long-distance trains, as the company announced on Thursday morning. There are also effects in other states.
Peak wind speeds of up to 156 kilometers per hour were also measured at night on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. The value was recorded shortly after midnight, said a spokesman for the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach. He pointed out that the figures are still provisional and could still be corrected by a few kilometers per hour.
Storm low “Ylenia”: Medium high water on the North Sea
Fallen trees, loose roof tiles, canceled flights and delayed trains also determine the picture in other parts of Germany: Storm depression “Ylenia” initially hit the north and east of Germany in particular. The fire brigades and police control centers reported numerous operations early Thursday morning, but there was no major damage for the time being. The German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach had previously issued severe weather warnings for Wednesday evening to Thursday evening, mainly for the northern half of the country.
Some of the flood levels on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony were lower than expected. Unlike for Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) had not warned of a storm surge here either. However, water levels about 1 meter higher than mean high water (MHW) were expected. According to a BSH spokesman, the water levels on Borkum were about 84 centimeters above the mean high water level. On Norderney, the water rose to 1.01 meters above sea level. Values of 1.15 meters were reached in Emden and 1.09 in Wilhelmshaven.
In Schleswig-Holstein, on the other hand, there was a storm surge. In Husum, at the Eidersperre and in Büsum, for example, early Thursday morning the flood values were more than 1.5 meters above the average flood. Exact figures were not initially available.
In the Hamburg Elbe area, the flood should reach values that are 1.5 to 2 meters higher than the average flood. There is a risk of storm surges here until around 5 a.m. on Thursday morning. Then the highest water level in Hamburg is expected. Then the fish market in Altona should be partly flooded again – like a few times earlier this year.
Storm low “Ylenia”: fire brigade in continuous operation
The Berlin fire brigade declared a state of emergency early Thursday morning due to the storm “Ylenia”. Since 2 a.m. there has been a sharp increase in weather-related operations. Several volunteer fire brigades were called into service to support the professional fire brigade. In Lichterfelde, for example, three trees fell on several parked cars and a light pole was also carried away. There were initially no reports of injuries from Berlin.
A corona test station in Kleve on the Lower Rhine could not withstand the storm on Wednesday evening. The wind destroyed the tent of the drive-in test center in North Rhine-Westphalia, according to the fire brigade. According to firefighters, no one was injured.
The storm also affected rail and air traffic. Fallen trees hampered trains. The extent was initially limited during the night. A tree fell on the tracks near Buchholz between Bremen and Hamburg. An ICE therefore had to be diverted, as a railway spokesman said. According to the company, trees in North Rhine-Westphalia blocked isolated side routes in the Dortmund area. The Dortmund-Münster connection was temporarily affected. Deutsche Bahn advised to find out about delays or train cancellations.
Low “Ylenia”: Lufthansa cancels flights
As a precaution, Lufthansa canceled 20 flights, as the company announced on request during the night. Travelers were advised to check the airline’s website for the status of their flight. According to the operator, connections to Berlin, Hamburg and Munich are affected at the largest German airport in Frankfurt.
According to the German Weather Service, average wind speeds of 120 kilometers per hour were measured between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. on the exposed Brocken in the Harz Mountains. The peak wind during this period was 152 kilometers per hour.
In other parts of Germany, too, there were hurricane gusts and hurricane-like gusts in exposed locations such as mountain peaks: In the above-mentioned period, wind speeds of an average of 87 km/h were measured on the Feldberg in the Black Forest, with peaks of 125 km/h. There were heavy gusts of wind, for example, at Cape Arkona on Rügen (77 km/h, 105 km/h peak) and at the Kiel lighthouse (79 km/h, 101 km/h peak).
After low “Ylenia” new hurricane low is expected
According to the DWD, the wind from low “Ylenia” will slowly decrease from Thursday afternoon. However, the breather should only be brief. The next hurricane – called “Zeynep” – is expected to come from the British Isles as early as Friday afternoon.
According to the DWD, the northern half in particular will probably be affected again. But the forecasts are not entirely certain: “The models still have very different simulations,” said press spokesman and meteorologist Andreas Friedrich on Wednesday. The weather situation is very dynamic.
According to the ADAC in North Rhine-Westphalia, motorists should leave their cars where they are and avoid trips that are not absolutely necessary. Fallen trees or branches must be expected at any time. Deutsche Bahn announced that goodwill regulations for the validity of long-distance tickets already purchased would apply for the Thursday/Friday period. More flexible use over several days or free cancellations are possible.
Numerous zoos, for example in Berlin, Wuppertal in North Rhine-Westphalia and in Magdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt), should remain closed on Thursday as a precaution. Visiting cemeteries was forbidden here and there. Many ski areas also prepared for the hurricane lows. The Fichtelberg suspension railway in Saxony was already standing still on Wednesday. Because of the risk of tree breakage, some trails are to be closed. In many cities, the weekly markets for Thursday have been canceled. (ktho/dpa)
List of rubrics: © Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa
