Summer is showing its best side in Germany. But there is also a risk of heavy thunderstorms across the country on Thursday. You can read all about the current situation in the weather ticker.

7:06 p.m.: After a hot summer day with temperatures of up to 31 degrees, heavy thunderstorms are expected in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein on Thursday evening. There is a great danger to life and limb from lightning strikes, falling trees and roofs being blown off, among other things, the German Weather Service (DWD) announced. The thunderstorms will be accompanied by heavy rain and gusts of wind of around 75 kilometers per hour. In some places, hailstorms are also expected.

According to police, there were already many operations in Hamburg on Thursday due to heavy rain. Numerous drains overflowed and branches or trees fell onto the streets. Further details were not immediately known.

A tree fell onto the S-Bahn tracks in Hamburg-Bergedorf, said a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn. Long-distance traffic in the direction of Berlin was also temporarily affected by a closure. This has since been lifted. The closure of the S2 is still ongoing.

According to the DWD, the wind will ease overnight into Friday and Friday morning and fog will form. Visibility of less than 150 metres is possible, particularly in East Holstein. On Friday it will be a little cooler than on previous days, with temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees.

But it is not only Hamburg that will experience severe weather. The Hersfeld-Rotenburg district also had to deal with numerous fire brigade operations. A large thunderstorm cell moved across the region on Thursday afternoon, with the towns of Bebra and Rotenburg most affected, the district said. There it was one of the strongest thunderstorms in recent years.

Meanwhile, the DWD in Offenbach in Hesse warned of further thunderstorms. There is a local risk of severe weather due to heavy rain in the eastern half of the country with up to 40 to 60 litres per square metre in a short space of time, hail around two centimetres in size and stormy gusts. The thunderstorms will ease overnight into Friday, according to meteorologists.

Specifically, warnings were issued until 7:30 p.m. of severe thunderstorms and the associated dangers – for example, lightning strikes, falling trees, flooding of streets or basements.

In the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district, the local volunteer fire brigade was called out to more than 200 operations by early evening. “In Rotenburg we currently have around 70 reported incidents, and in Bebra around 130,” explains Thorsten Bloß, head of the district administration’s hazard prevention department. The main problems were flooded basements and streets. “We will probably only be able to determine the full extent of the incident in the next few hours and days.”

According to the information, the vocational schools in Bebra will remain closed on Friday because the rooms are flooded with water. Classes will be held remotely.

Warning level RED in these districts of Germany:

Thursday, June 27, 6:23 a.m.: After heavy rainfall in the south and southwest on Wednesday, the unpleasant weather is spreading across Germany: Heavy thunderstorms with the potential for severe weather are expected in large parts of the country on Thursday. As the German Weather Service (DWD) announced, strong thunderstorms are possible almost nationwide except in the west and northeast. Individual regions in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria were already affected by heavy rainfall on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning there will initially be only isolated thunderstorms, with locally heavy rain of up to 25 litres per square metre, in some places even 30. Stronger thunderstorms may also bring gusty winds and small hail. The DWD is currently warning of heat in the west, north and east.

According to the DWD, heavy thunderstorms are possible throughout the day, except in the west and northeast. In some areas, there may be heavy rain with amounts of more than 30 litres per square metre. In very limited areas, there may be extreme storms with more than 40 litres per square metre in a short space of time or more than 60 litres per square metre in several hours.

During the night into Friday, strong thunderstorms with heavy rain, initially also with small hail and stormy gusts, are likely, especially in the north and northeast.

5.25 p.m.: The German Weather Service (DWD) had issued a severe weather warning at the highest warning level four for large parts of Baden-Württemberg, including temporarily for the Stuttgart administrative district. Heavy thunderstorms with heavy rain in isolated cases up to 80 liters per square meter were expected, as well as gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour. The meteorologists also warned of lightning strikes.

The city of Munich is also affected by the storms. The fan zone for the 2024 European Championships in Munich’s Olympic Park will only be open to a limited extent on Wednesday. Due to the threat of severe thunderstorms, the Theatron and Seebühne areas will remain closed for the time being, according to press spokeswoman Alice Kilger. The rest of the Olympic Park will be open as normal.

RED warning in these Bavarian districts

Highest warning level in Baden-Württemberg:

And warning level red in the district and city of Karlsruhe.

3.10 p.m.: The German Weather Service is currently warning of severe thunderstorms with extremely heavy rain and hail. The DWD is also expecting rainfall of up to 60 l/m² per hour and gusts of wind with speeds of up to 80 km/h.

Red warning applies to these districts:

Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 8:51 a.m.: Summer temperatures with thunderstorms and heavy rain await people in Germany in the coming days. According to the German Weather Service, Wednesday will start sunny and clear. During the course of the day, there could be showers in some areas and sometimes heavy thunderstorms with heavy rain. Temperatures will rise to 27 to 31 degrees.

Strong and sometimes severe thunderstorms are expected in Bavaria on Wednesday. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there may be local heavy rain with precipitation amounts of around 25 litres per square metre in one hour, as well as hail. Extremely heavy rain with up to 50 litres per square metre is possible in some places, and extremely high precipitation amounts of up to 70 litres per square metre cannot be ruled out in some places, according to the DWD.

According to meteorologists, it will remain sunny in northern Bavaria in the morning, with showers expected in the Alpine foothills. From midday, cumulus clouds, showers and locally heavy thunderstorms will spread. There could be local storm-like heavy rain. Maximum temperatures on Wednesday will range from 23 to 30 degrees, with the warmest temperatures along the Main and Naab rivers.

According to the information, it will remain cloudy to very cloudy overnight into Thursday. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to become less frequent at times, but more frequent again in the early morning hours.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 10:48 p.m.: In addition to a jersey and fan scarf, football fans should also wear a rain jacket if they want to watch the last European Championship preliminary round matches at a public viewing in the open air and stay reasonably dry: On Wednesday there could be lightning, thunder and it could get very wet. “These thunderstorms are water bombs,” said a meteorologist from the German Weather Service. “It could rain heavily.” But it is still unclear where exactly it will thunder and pour.

From Wednesday afternoon, there may initially be severe thunderstorms in medium and high altitudes with heavy rain, small hail and stormy gusts. The areas affected include the Swabian Alb, the Black Forest, the Odenwald and the Swabian Forest. The storms will linger there the longest. In the evening they will move to the lowlands, and then there may also be thunderstorms in the rest of the country. Extremely heavy rain with rainfall of up to 80 litres per square meter per hour is also likely in some places.

According to the DWD, it was not initially possible to predict exactly where severe storms would occur. In some places in Baden-Württemberg, the sun could shine all day on Wednesday, said the meteorologist. But cellars could also flood and rivers could flood.

As early as Tuesday, people along the Upper Rhine, in Upper Swabia and southern Baden must prepare for heavy rain with precipitation of 25 litres per square metre, gusts of wind and small hail.

Cumulus clouds are expected to form in the south in the evening. According to the DWD, local showers and thunderstorms will then begin, which are expected to continue south of the Danube during the night into Wednesday.

It is expected to be very cloudy on Wednesday morning. Heavy rain and gusts of wind will continue overnight into Thursday, but will gradually ease. According to the DWD, Thursday will start mostly sunny, but there could be more showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rain towards midday. Maximum temperatures of up to 32 degrees are expected in Kraichgau.

You can read more about the current weather conditions on the next pages.