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Approaching thunderstorm (symbolic image): Up to 35 litres of heavy rain per square metre predicted

Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/ dpa

Severe rainfall and thunderstorms caused damage in several districts in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg on Sunday and caused numerous operations. The exact damage could not be estimated at first, as the police in Freiburg announced. No one was injured. The German Weather Service had warned in advance of severe weather.

In several districts, there were double-digit operations due to a number of flooded basements and flooded streets. As the Freiburg police announced, there was a landslide on a federal highway near Biederbach (Emmendingen district). Not far away, a road was no longer passable due to the amount of water and had to be closed for an hour.

In the district of Tuttlingen, the storm had manifested itself in the form of extreme hail and rainfall. Within a few minutes, basements were overflowing, corridors as well as vehicles and buildings were damaged. This was announced by the police from Constance. In addition, streams and rivers overflowed their banks.

Thunderstorms are also expected to increase on Monday – some of them thunderstorms.

Severe rain in the north

In Lower Saxony and Bremen, the weather will be wet and cold after the mild Ascension weekend. The German Weather Service (DWD) predicts severe weather with up to 35 liters per square meter over a few hours. Stormy gusts of up to 65 kilometers per hour are also possible.

For Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, the DWD predicts heavy rain of up to 35 liters per square meter from Monday afternoon. In some areas, thunderstorms, stormy gusts and small-grained hail may occur.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms in the middle of Germany

In Hesse, too, the start of the week will be uncomfortable. Monday will start cloudy with heavy showers. The maximum temperatures are between 25 and 28 degrees, in the higher mountains at about 22 degrees. According to the DWD, thunderstorms can also occur at night.

After a sunny start, it will be uncomfortable in Saxony in the early evening. As the German Weather Service (DWD) announced on Monday, clouds will rise in the morning. In the afternoon and evening it rains, especially in West Saxony, the DWD warns of local thunderstorms with heavy rain, stormy winds and even hail. With 26 to 29 degrees, in the mountains 21 to 26 degrees, it remains summery warm.

The start of the week in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland will also be uncomfortable - with a lot of rain and thunderstorms. Monday morning starts brightly, but clouds will gather as the day progresses.

Risk of forest fires in the east

In parts of Saxony-Anhalt, on the other hand, the risk of forest fires is increasing. According to an overview by the State Forest Center, danger level four of a total of five has been in effect since Saturday in the area around Wittenberg. Accordingly, the Dübener Heide, the Vorfläming and Wittenberg-Elsterland are affected. Since the middle of the week, forest fire danger level 3 has prevailed in Anhalt-Bitterfeld north and south of the Elbe, as well as in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in the district of Stendal, Jerichower Land as well as in Halle and the Saalekreis and Dessau-Roßlau.

There are certain rules of conduct associated with the forest fire warning levels. At danger levels two to five, it is prohibited, among other things, to smoke in the forest or to light fires outside the barbecue areas. The authorities divide Saxony-Anhalt into 18 regions when assessing the risk of forest fires.

lmd/dpa