Storm “Manja” is sweeping across Germany

Parts of Germany have to prepare for a stormy Sunday - and it can also be quite dangerous. An official warning of squalls and severe squalls was in effect in the morning for larger areas in the north, central, west and southwest.

According to forecasts from the German Weather Service (DWD), winds can reach speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour (km/h) at heights above 600 meters. “Severe gusts of wind of around 100 kilometers per hour must be expected in exposed locations,” it said. In areas that are not so high up, speeds of up to 70 km/h are possible.

According to the weather service, such wind speeds can cause branches to break and objects to fly around. Furniture that is not tied down outside should be secured and covers secured. According to the DWD, the wind is expected to increase again after a short break as the day progresses. The wind is not expected to subside until Monday night.

Strong gusts and storm surge warning

The storm “Manja” is bringing stormy and changeable weather, especially in northern Germany. According to the DWD, hurricane-force gusts and isolated hurricane gusts are expected on the coast in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. There could be squalls in the interior of both federal states as well as in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hamburg and Bremen. Ferry connections to some East Frisian Islands are restricted, and many connections to Helgoland are also canceled.

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency warns of a storm surge for the North Sea coast. On Monday night, the flood on the East Frisian coast and in the Elbe area will be 1.5 to 2 meters higher than the mean flood, in the Weser area around 1.5 meters and on the North Frisian coast 2 to 2.5 meters higher. In Hamburg, the water at the St. Pauli gauge is expected to rise to 2 meters above mean high water at around 4 a.m. on Monday morning. From a height of 1.5 meters it is referred to as a storm surge.

Operations and constant rain in the Harz

According to the DWD, hurricane gusts with speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour will occur around the Brocken until Sunday afternoon. Possible dangers include falling trees and falling branches. Staying outdoors should be avoided.

There is also constant rain in the Harz. According to the local control center, there have been a total of 28 operations since the morning because of fallen trees and falling branches. There was damage to cars and a house, but no one was injured. Control centers in Oldenburg and Osnabrück also reported operations on Saturday night and Sunday night.

Power outage in Freiburg

The first effects of the new autumn storm were also evident in southern Germany: due to strong winds, the power went out in Freiburg - which meant the university hospital could no longer deal with all emergencies in the emergency room. Only life-threatening emergencies should come to the clinic, according to an Instagram post from the clinic. Other patients should therefore switch to the surrounding emergency rooms and emergency practices.

There was a widespread power outage in the city and region. According to the police, several thousand households have now been affected. Most households had electricity again in the morning. The strong winds caused a metal roof to fly into a substation in the Littenweiler district of Freiburg in the morning and caused a short circuit.

In Saxony, the storm on the Fichtelberg caused wintry conditions. On the highest mountain in the state, the precipitation turned into snowfall at temperatures around freezing point. In addition, heavy gusts of wind swept over the summit at speeds of around 100 km/h.

“Continuous deployment for the fire brigade” in North Rhine-Westphalia

The fire brigades from North Rhine-Westphalia reported further operations on Sunday, mostly due to fallen trees or fallen branches. “Continuous operation for professional and volunteer fire departments,” said the emergency services in Wuppertal. By Sunday morning they had counted 31 further weather-related missions. There were occasional traffic disruptions. Deutsche Bahn, for example, reported disruptions due to “storm effects” on the long-distance route between Münster and Recklinghausen.

Rain, wind and isolated thunderstorms are also determining the weather in Bavaria today. According to the DWD, the snowfall limit is initially around 2,500 meters. One to five centimeters of fresh snow is possible overnight above 1,500 meters.