The storm “Ignatz” began its march across Germany early on Thursday morning.

The first strong autumn storm of the year brought violent gusts in many places, sometimes also thunderstorms and rain.

In the course of Thursday, the German Weather Service (DWD) expected heavy gusts of wind and sometimes hurricane-like gusts of up to 105 kilometers per hour in a strip across the middle to the east and northeast of Germany.

In the mountains there could even be hurricane gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

In the Bonn district of Bad Godesberg, a freight train collided with a branch on Thursday night, the Cologne-Koblenz long-distance traffic was impaired in the morning.

As a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn announced, the branch fell onto the track on the left bank of the Rhine due to the storm.

"We have to divert to the right bank of the Rhine and are working flat out to repair the damage."

Long-distance trains between Cologne and Koblenz had been diverted since the early hours of the morning and were delayed by between 20 and 90 minutes.

The Andernach, Remagen and Bonn Hauptbahnhof stops were omitted.

On Thursday morning, the train reported that no diversions were necessary on the route.

Long-distance trains between Würzburg and Nuremberg would be diverted due to storm damage, it said on Twitter.

The railway provides information on all traffic disruptions on its website.

In Hesse, "Ignatz" has already been used by the fire brigade and police on many occasions. In the Fulda district in particular, the police received numerous reports early on Thursday morning. Various police spokesmen reported fallen trees, parasols and a trampoline that had been blown away. There was occasional minor damage to property. According to the police, people were initially not injured. It remains to be seen how the storm in Hesse develops in the course of the morning.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, there were several traffic accidents because of branches, trees or garbage cans on the street.

Trees were uprooted in Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg, but no worse was reported.

In Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony, a man was hit by a falling branch on Wednesday evening, but was only slightly injured, the police said.

From Lower Saxony it was said that even short-lived tornadoes could not be completely ruled out there.

According to the DWD, there are always showers and thunderstorms in places.

In Berlin and Brandenburg there have not yet been any weather-related accidents or traffic restrictions.

The police and fire brigade announced on Thursday morning.

In the northern half of Germany, the weather service warned of thunderstorms moving eastwards, in which hurricane-like gusts could blow at up to 105 kilometers per hour.

Because of the storm "Ignatz", the DWD had already warned explicitly on Wednesday of falling branches and roof tiles on Thursday and Friday and recommended not to leave the house.

In the course of the afternoon, according to the DWD, the wind decreases from the west again.

It's getting cooler overall.

On Thursday the temperatures are between 15 and 18 degrees, in the west and north between 12 and 15 degrees.