The storm that penetrated Germany on Friday killed at least one person, injured nearly 60 and caused extensive damage, mainly in the west of the country, local authorities said on Saturday.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, a 38-year-old man died after being electrocuted when he entered a flooded cellar following bad weather, and fell on his head, Koblenz police said.
North Rhine-Westphalia was particularly affected: a tornado crossed Paderborn causing 43 injuries, including 13 serious, the city’s mayor of about 150,000 residents, Michael Dreier, said Saturday at a press conference.
It’s surprising to see how fast that can happen in a citydid he declare.
The tornado column moved towards homes, removing trees and sections of buildings, as videos posted on social networks showed. The police assessed on several million euros naninira which he caused.
This phenomenon, which is very rare in Germany, has also hit the municipalities of Lippstadt and Lütmarsen, two other towns located a few dozen kilometers from Paderborn, German meteorological services said on Saturday. No injuries were reported.
The storm, which came after several days of unpredictable high temperatures in the country, caused widespread damage in this region of western Germany, where response forces reported countless uprooted trees and roofs removed. .
A explosive mixtureaccording to a meteorologist
The South was also affected: in the Roth region, a wooden hut where hikers took refuge collapsed. Fourteen people were seriously injured, including a woman and a child, local Bavarian police said.
German weather services lifted storm warnings on Saturday.
The violence of bad weather on Friday was associated with the arrival in Germany of particularly hot winds from Spain and France, on the one hand, and cold winds from the north on the other hand, the meteorologist explained. Özden Terli on ZDF public television, talking about a explosive mixture.
Spain is experiencing an unusual heat wave that could make May 2022 the hottest month of the century in the country. France, for its part, equals record heat in the spring, with 38 consecutive days higher than seasonal norms.
The increase in heat waves, particularly in Europe, is a result of global warming, according to scientists, where greenhouse gas emissions increase the strength, duration and speed of repetition of heat waves. .
Source: Radio-Canada
