Severe Thunderstorms Batter Western Germany, Disrupting Traffic and Rail Services

Steger explained the meteorological context, noting, "Da kann es heftige Entwicklungen geben in der warmen, feuchten Luftmasse zuvor." He added that the storm system would shift southeastward into Lower Saxony overnight, gradually weakening. However, severe gusts of up to 100 kilometers per hour and torrential rain of 30 liters per square meter remained possible further north.

Transport Networks Disrupted

The storm's impact was immediately felt on the region's transport infrastructure. The cooperative large-scale control center in Oldenburg reported that trees had fallen onto the A1 and A30 motorways near Osnabrück, causing significant disruption.

Rail services were also severely affected. The RE 6 (RRX) line between Hamm and Minden in East Westphalia was suspended entirely, according to the rail information service Zuginfo.NRW. Long-distance connections through Münster were also impacted.

Emergency Services on High Alert

In the district of Warendorf, the fire brigade declared a state of high alert. "Wir haben Vollarm hier," a fire department spokesman told the German Press Agency (dpa). The spokesman reported around 20 ongoing operations in the city of Warendorf alone, including a lightning strike that hit a rural property.

While the most intense weather was concentrated in the west, other parts of the country faced a lower threat level. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, only a level-1 thunderstorm warning was in effect for parts of the state.

Outlook and Cooling Trend

Looking ahead, the DWD's Steger indicated a change in the weather pattern. "Das Temperaturniveau wird etwas absinken," he said. After temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the weekend is expected to see highs of only 24 degrees.