Severe Weather over NRW on Corpus Christi Holiday – a Tornado in Gronau and Gusts up to 117 km/h

Operations in Münsterland and Lower Rhine

Around 3 PM, the storm reached the districts of Borken and Coesfeld in Münsterland, as well as the Lower Rhine. In Gronau, a tree fell, and according to the German Weather Service (DWD), an IF1 strength tornado with wind speeds of around 150 kilometers per hour passed through the town near the German-Dutch border. Further potential damage cases are still being investigated.

In the Wesel district, the fire department responded to five incidents in the afternoon, including a flooded basement and water in an underpass. In Krefeld-Hüls, a large tree fell in front of a farmhouse, and in Neuss, a branch threatened to fall onto a sidewalk. The Landesgartenschau (State Garden Show) in Neuss subsequently closed its gates at 4:30 PM; events planned for the late afternoon and evening were canceled. The organizers announced on their homepage that the program would proceed as planned on Friday.

Power Outage in Oberbergischer Kreis

Control centers in Remscheid, Grevenbroich, Mönchengladbach, and in the districts of Mettmann and Viersen reported no storm-related incidents. In the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, lightning struck a tree. The situation was particularly evident in the Oberbergischer Kreis, where lightning hit a high-voltage power line, leading to a power outage of about 15 minutes in large parts of the district. Numerous concerned citizens called emergency numbers during this time.

In Bielefeld, a short, heavy rain with lightning and thunder interrupted the city festival for about half an hour. On the A3 motorway near Hamminkeln, an aquaplaning accident occurred where a car from Mettmann veered off the road and landed in a wooded area. A fence post penetrated the vehicle, narrowly missing the passenger. According to the WDR weather editorial team, the thunderstorms ended around 11 PM; the night then remained largely dry and calm.

For Friday, the WDR weather editorial team expects isolated thunderstorms again from midday onwards, but not with the intensity of Thursday's storm cells. The DWD, based in Offenbach, assessed the overall situation in Germany as less severe than initially feared. The reason given was an already existing, extensive cloud cover that may have prevented the air mass from heating up as strongly.

Assessment and Outlook for Friday

According to the DWD's description, a tornado forms as a vortex over land with large temperature differences and frequently occurs in Central Europe in connection with thunderstorms. A tube-shaped cloud funnel extends from the thunderstorm cloud to the ground. The damage in Gronau corresponded to the international IF1 category on the Fujita-like scale.

Overall, the severe weather impact in NRW remained below initial expectations, even though individual locations like Gronau, Krefeld-Hüls, and the Oberbergischer Kreis were hit hard in some places. Authorities and weather services continue to monitor the situation.

No further warnings were initially in effect for the rest of the day and night; however, according to the WDR weather editorial team, new thunderstorms could occur locally from midday on Friday.