The south and west of Germany are being battered by torrential rain and strong winds. This has caused major problems: disrupted public transport, flooded streets and people trapped in their homes.

Falling trees

Bad weather in Bavaria is forcing public transport services in the area to be partially closed. S-Bahn lines S1 and S2 in Munich were partially closed on Tuesday morning due to trees falling onto overhead lines. In the west of the country, the railway line between Perl and Trier was closed on Tuesday morning.

Falling trees proved to be a menace in the south-west as well. In Baden-Württemberg, a tree fell on an apartment building, piercing the roof as well as damaging three cars. Police reported around 60.000 euros worth of damage although, thankfully, no injuries were reported. “Fallen trees are causing danger in road traffic - we ask for special caution and consideration,” said the Freiburg police in a statement on Twitter.

Strong winds in the Waldshut district of Baden-Württemberg have damaged houses and felled trees and fences. Police have reported that in Karlsruhe, trees had fallen, and streets and cellars had flooded. In Stuttgart, a tree fell on a car but thankfully, there have been no injuries according to the police.

Rescue operations underway

The heavy rain has caused streams and rivers to flood in the Rhineland-Palatinate district, where around 440 emergency servicemen were deployed. The town centre of Aach, near Trier, was flooded by a stream at night and in the Oberemmel district of Konz, a pond overflowed, trapping people in their homes. They were eventually saved by the fire brigade.

The Moselle River has also flooded, due to heavy rainfall in the Vosges in France, where the Moselle originates. On Tuesday morning, the water level in Trier was over 8,40 metres according to the Flood Reporting Centre, five metres higher than its usual level. Additionally, two rivers west of Augsburg have burst their banks and flooded streets.

The River Saar, which runs from the Moselle River, is also facing rising water levels. This has led to the police closing the city highway in Saarbrücken. The severe weather also threatened to cause a landslide on a slope between Kondertal and Dieblich. The federal road 49, which runs along the Moselle, has therefore been closed as a precaution.

More extreme weather to come

The German Weather Service (DWD) had warned of severe weather in the south of Germany on Monday night. They expect the heavy rain to continue until at least Tuesday lunchtime. It is estimated that in the Black Forest, 120 to 150 litres of rainfall had fallen within 72 hours. The DWD has also warned of strong winds that could range between 50 and 70 kilometres per hour.

If you live in an area affected by the extreme weather, stay safe! Listen to all official advice from the emergency services and try to stay indoors as much as possible!