Severe thunderstorms cause accident, transport disruptions across Germany

Severe thunderstorms swept across several German states, causing flooding, fallen trees, traffic accidents and disruptions to transport services.

Emergency services received hundreds of calls about flooded roads and basements, fallen trees and branches, and weather-related road accidents, Der Spiegel reports.

In Berlin, an S-Bahn commuter train carrying around 100 passengers collided with a tree that had fallen onto the tracks during the storm. The train’s windscreen was damaged, but no one was injured.

In Brandenburg, firefighters responded to dozens of incidents involving fallen trees, broken branches and flooded basements, with the Cottbus area particularly affected.

Saxony-Anhalt also recorded widespread disruption, with emergency services receiving more than 70 calls in a short period. In Dessau-Roßlau, the fire service received more than 120 emergency calls within 20 minutes of the storm.

In Saxony, Leipzig recorded the highest number of emergency calls, mainly due to strong winds that brought down trees and branches. Two people were also rescued from Lake Kulkwitz after encountering difficulties while paddleboarding.

Despite the widespread impact of the storms, preliminary reports indicated that there were no fatalities or serious injuries.

By Sabina Mammadli