German weather service warns of severe weather. But experts are particularly worried about the dry soil.
Update from August 19, 11:59 a.m.: Thunderstorms and heavy rain pour over large parts of Bavaria. For the edge of the Alps, there is currently an “official severe weather warning for extremely heavy continuous rain” colored purple on the warning map of the German Weather Service (DWD).
Weather in Germany: Severe thunderstorms in parts of the country – drought promotes the risk of flooding
First report from August 19: Offenbach/Munich – After weeks of drought and severe forest fires, the German Weather Service (DWD) warned of locally strong, sometimes severe thunderstorms with heavy rain on Friday. On the edge of the Alps there can be “extremely heavy” continuous heavy rain. 50 to 140 liters per square meter are possible within 48 hours on Friday and Saturday. The heavy rain is intensified by thunderstorms. The DWD announced this on Friday. In the east and north-east of Germany there may also be isolated hailstorms and gusts of wind. In the evening more shower and thunderclouds are expected from the west and north-west. Here, too, stormy developments cannot be ruled out.
According to previous information, the precipitation in the south of the country was not as heavy as feared on Friday night. The police and rescue workers in Upper Bavaria only occasionally reported flooded basements and flooded underpasses. After the long drought, the soil in some places could not absorb the water quickly enough, which is why it could only run off superficially, as a police spokesman said. A danger that still exists.
Weather in Germany: dry soil and risk of forest fires
Smaller bodies of water on the edge of the Alps in particular could rise sharply and burst their banks within a short period of time because of the dry soil, the experts at the Bavarian flood intelligence service wrote on their website. “Regionally, larger regions can also be affected by flooding.” Due to the “very dynamic weather development”, no regional focus has yet emerged. “However, the risk of being hit by heavy heavy rain increases towards the south and east.”
In the night of Saturday it should be heavily overcast from the Alps to the eastern low mountain ranges to Lusatia – here too there could be thunderstorms and thunderstorms due to the heavy rain. Changeable weather is expected in the southeastern half of the country on Saturday – partly cloudy, with showers and thunderstorms. South of the Danube there can also be prolonged rainfall. Otherwise it should be variable or slightly cloudy. Especially in the North Sea area, it should mostly stay dry – with lots of sun. If the drought persists in some areas, there is still a high risk of forest fires, especially in western Germany.
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