Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain to Sweep Across Germany, Ending Heatwave

Flash Flooding and Extreme Rainfall Totals

The storm system is expected to intensify throughout Sunday afternoon. SWR weather expert Claudia Kleinert described the atmospheric instability, saying, 'Es brodelt im Laufe des Tages.' Hail and severe gusts around 100 kilometers per hour are not ruled out, and in some locations, extreme rainfall totals of 80 to 100 liters per square meter are possible.

The severe weather marks the abrupt end of a heatwave in Baden-Württemberg, where Sunday's high temperatures will initially reach between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius, with the Breisgau region again nearing 30 degrees. However, temperatures will cool rapidly due to the thunderstorm situation, dropping to between 20 and 16 degrees in the evening.

End of the Heatwave and Temperature Plunge

Overnight lows are expected to fall between 9 and 15 degrees. The DWD indicates that the thunderstorm risk will decrease during the night to Monday, though some regions may still experience multi-hour heavy rain and strong wind gusts persisting into Monday morning.

The storm front is moving from west to east. In Saxony, the DWD issued a severe weather warning on Saturday, with the first outer bands of the storm already reaching the Vogtland region according to precipitation radar. The initial warning covered Vogtland, the Ore Mountains, the districts of Zwickau and Mittelsachsen, and the Leipzig region.

Saxony Under Severe Weather Warning

For Saxony, hail and strong wind gusts up to 85 kilometers per hour are expected. The DWD cautioned that thunderstorms and strong wind gusts may persist until tomorrow morning, with multi-hour heavy rain possible during the coming night.

On a national scale, the DWD forecasts showers and partly heavy thunderstorms across almost all of Germany. On Sunday morning, thunderstorms are expected mainly in the west of the country. During the day, they will move from the center to the south and to the northwest.

Severe squalls with speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour are possible. Maximum temperatures are expected to be between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius in the north and northwest, while elsewhere meteorologists expect highs between 25 and 30 degrees. It will be cooler at the sea.

National Outlook and Regional Variations

Apart from squalls during thunderstorms, a moderate west to northwest wind is blowing, partly strong and gusty in the south. The DWD noted that the area between the North Sea and the Oder River will remain mostly dry, and during the day, the weather in the west of Germany is expected to calm down increasingly.

Looking ahead to Monday, the DWD expects maximum temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees, with higher mountain areas around 18 degrees. On Monday morning, rain may still fall on the Swabian Alb and areas southeast of it. Otherwise, many clouds are in the sky but it should stay dry, with the chance of seeing the sun increasing in the afternoon. The wind will blow moderately to briskly.

Forecast for the Start of the Week

At the start of the new week, the DWD forecasts changeable cloudiness. Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected mainly in the east of Germany, with maximum temperatures forecast to be between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius.

Clouds will also accompany Tuesday. By midday, further isolated showers could develop, with thunderstorms — partly with gusts — and subsequent rain possible in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures on Tuesday are expected between 19 degrees on the Zollernalb and 26 degrees on the Rhine.

The DWD emphasizes that it remains completely unclear where exactly strong lightning and thunder will occur. It is possible that some regions will be completely spared from thunderstorms, while neighboring areas experience severe weather. Residents across the affected regions are urged to monitor local warnings and take precautions against rapidly changing conditions.