Powerful storms and tornadoes sweep through Germany and Austria: one dead, homes destroyed

On Thursday morning in the German state of Thuringia, a 40-year-old man was killed during a violent storm — in the town of Georgenthal, a falling tree branch struck him as he was walking his child to kindergarten. According to the newspaper Focus, the child was unharmed.

The most dangerous weather in recent hours has been recorded in Bavaria. The German Weather Service warns that storm fronts moving in from the southwest could bring up to 30 litres of rain per square metre within an hour, with wind gusts reaching 80 km/h and hailstones up to two centimetres in diameter. Meteorologists have flagged the highest risk for 11 districts, including Eichstätt and Kelheim, as well as the cities of Ingolstadt, Augsburg, Ulm and Memmingen.

Tornadoes tear roofs off houses

Tornadoes had already swept through the states of Brandenburg and Hesse on Wednesday. In the Hessian town of Wetzlar, according to broadcaster Tagesschau, around 60 homes were damaged — some lost their roofs entirely, with debris scattered as far as 100 metres away. Many buildings have since been declared uninhabitable.

Austria was also hit by severe weather. According to the outlet Heute, Vienna was struck by heavy hail up to three centimetres in diameter — the first wave arrived around 2:30 pm, followed by a second at 4 pm. Downpours flooded streets and building basements, causing traffic chaos across the Austrian capital as movement ground to a halt on many roads.

Majorca, the Alps and Italy on alert

The bad weather is also heading toward the popular tourist island of Majorca. Forecasters expect powerful thunderstorms to hit the island on Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 100 km/h, with rainfall reaching 40 litres per square metre. The same threat looms over Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. As a precaution, authorities in Palma have closed parks and the seafront promenade.

A storm warning is also in effect for popular Alpine resorts, with northern Italy and Switzerland expected to be hit hardest. According to forecast models, the strongest storms are expected between the regions of Piedmont, Lombardy and Liguria, as well as between Lombardy and Veneto.

In the Alpine areas of northern Italy and southern Switzerland, rainfall of up to 200 litres per square metre could fall by the end of the week, raising the risk of landslides, mudflows and rockfalls.

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Source: novinky.cz