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Hail, lightning and sometimes heavy rain showers: Wednesday night was not exactly comfortable in Switzerland – and that with summer temperatures of up to 37 degrees. Not only in this country does the weather god play a nasty game with us humans. An overview of the weather situation in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the USA.
Germany
Several people were injured, some seriously, in severe thunderstorms in southern and southwestern Germany. The storm developed particularly devastating power in the Saarland: In the small town of Asweiler in the municipality of Freisen, about 50 houses were damaged.
The roofs of several buildings were covered and in two cases entire roofs, including the roof construction, were blown away. “I’m sure it was a tornado,” said Dirk Schäfer, head of the disaster management office in St. Wendel. The damage indicates that.
According to meteorologist Andreas Friedrich of the German Weather Service (DWD), it cannot be ruled out that it was a tornado. However, a diagnosis requires videos, photos, or eyewitness accounts.
In Asweiler, Saarland, no people were injured. In Bavaria it is different: in Biessenhofen near Marktoberdorf, a gust of wind dismantled a circus tent that two 25 and 33-year-old women were just about to secure. The women were taken to hospital with serious injuries. An uprooted tree crashed into a caravan near Olching, seriously injuring a 60-year-old.
Several people were also injured in Baden-Württemberg. For example, at a campsite in Allensbach on Lake Constance, an oak tree 70 centimeters thick fell on a family’s caravan. The three occupants and a 30-year-old camper were taken to hospital.
In the Ravensburg district, a 53-year-old scooter driver was seriously injured after his vehicle collided with a tree lying on the road. An 81-year-old fell from the attic in Moos/Iznang while trying to reattach bricks loosened by the storm. She was also taken to a hospital.
Due to the storm, there were disruptions on some railway lines on Wednesday. “Be prepared for delays and cancellations,” said Deutsche Bahn. For example, the long-distance route from Munich via Lindau on Lake Constance to Switzerland was initially blocked. The DB said that repairs to the two long-distance routes could take until Wednesday evening.
Both in Baden-Württemberg and in Bavaria, fallen branches, fallen trees and lightning strikes in houses ensured that the police and fire brigade were constantly on standby. Tens of thousands of households in Bavaria were without power after the storm. Bayernwerk Netz GmbH’s network in the regions of Upper Bavaria and Eastern Bavaria was affected, the company reported. The failures were caused by lightning strikes in several substations.
France
France was also hit by severe thunderstorms on Tuesday. There was some damage in the east of the country, wetteronline.de reports. In Dijon and Mulhouse, wind gusts swept through the area at speeds of more than 100 km/h. For safety reasons, train traffic was temporarily halted on some routes. In Dijon, the ceiling of a supermarket collapsed and dozens of trees were uprooted in Vichy. Large hailstones fell.
Spain
Meanwhile, Spain is beset by a heat wave – it’s only been two weeks since the last big wave.
In parts of Andalusia, the mercury rose to 44 degrees around Monday afternoon. The national weather service Aemet has declared the highest alert red for this region, which includes the cities of Seville and Córdoba. At the end of June, 44 degrees were already measured in the shade. These high daytime temperatures are extremely strenuous for people, especially small children, the elderly and the sick, but also for nature. Even at night there is hardly any rest, because then it is still at least 25 degrees warm.
It was also very hot in other parts of the country – up to 39 degrees in the capital Madrid and up to 35 degrees on the holiday island of Mallorca. In Catalonia it was a bit more bearable with 30 degrees and in the north of the country with temperatures around 25 degrees. This second heat wave of the summer may not subside until the end of the week.
Heat waves have become more common in Spain in recent years, Aemet emphasizes. Authority spokesperson Ruben del Campo has long warned: “One thing is clear: (man-made) climate change is causing more extreme weather events.”
Italy
In Italy, too, it is very hot in many places at the beginning and mid-July. According to a report from wetter.com, very hot air from the Sahara Desert from North Africa is causing extreme heat. Between Venice and Milan in the north and Naples and Palermo in the south, “constant temperatures of almost 40 degrees” can be expected in the coming days.
“Südtirol News” also reported that it could even reach 48 degrees in Sardinia. The limit of 40 degrees is also broken in Tuscany, on the Amalfi Coast of Campania and in the south of Apulia.
USA
Heavy rains have caused flooding and destruction in the northwestern United States. Meanwhile, authorities feared for the stability of a dam in the northeastern state of Vermont.
“The devastation and flooding we are witnessing throughout Vermont is historic and catastrophic,” said Governor Phil Scott. Streets were covered in mud and people were temporarily trapped in their homes. The situation relaxed on Wednesday – the emergency services concentrated on the clean-up work. In other parts of the country, the weather service warned of extreme heat.
Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, was particularly hard hit by the flooding, with much of downtown submerged. The photos included kayakers paddling down a flooded road.
On Tuesday evening (local time), authorities initially gave an all-clear with a view of the Wrightsville Dam, which was in danger of breaking. The dam’s water level is beginning to drop, he said. In the unlikely event that a dam bursts, the low levels of the North Branch River can absorb the excess water.
Although some streets in Montpelier have reopened to traffic, it was said. “However, please avoid driving through the city center unless absolutely necessary,” authorities warned. According to the weather service, flooding should continue to ease on Wednesday under generally dry conditions. However, the meteorologists predicted more showers and storms for Thursday and Friday. “This increases the risk of further flooding.”
US President Joe Biden (80) had declared a disaster for Vermont. This means that federal resources can be released for emergency action. When there are storms in the country, the US government regularly declares a disaster in order to help the affected regions quickly. (nad/SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
