Enlarge image

Damage after a storm in the Neumarkt district: The police speak of a “wind storm”

Photo: Vifogra ; Eberlein/dpa

Tornadoes could have caused damage in the Upper Palatinate and the Lower Rhine. It is not certain what weather phenomenon it was - but it is clear that some of the damage was significant.

A storm caused massive damage in Korschenbroich near Mönchengladbach on Thursday. The city spoke of a severe storm that lasted less than a minute. When asked, the DWD stated that it was an “unconfirmed suspected tornado case.”

According to a city spokeswoman, one person was slightly injured. During the storm, “mighty old trees” fell over and buried cars. Roofs were covered and facades were damaged.

According to the city, 130 firefighters were deployed at around 60 locations. Mostly it was about loose roof parts or fallen trees. In one case, an entire house roof was removed. According to reports, a person who wanted to go to a hospital on their own was injured on a street. A park and a cemetery were closed after trees fell there.

Winds from a thunderstorm cell

According to DWD expert Felix Dietzsch, a so-called gust could also have been responsible for the damage. Winds from a thunderstorm cell fell to the ground at high speed. They could reach hurricane force.

A precise determination of which weather phenomenon caused the damage in Korschenbroich can only be made by assessing the damage on site, Dietzsch continued. This could be done, for example, by volunteer weather experts. However, it is unclear whether this will be done in this case.

Around 30 buildings were damaged in the Neumarkt district in Bavaria. The Upper Palatinate police headquarters spoke of a “wind storm” in Berching on Friday morning. According to the DWD, an entry in the European severe weather database suggests that it could have been a tornado.

The storm in Berching demolished agricultural buildings and residential buildings, said a fire department spokesman. Roofs were damaged, windows were smashed with roof tiles and garage doors were torn out. A chimney also fell down.

jpz/dpa