For the first time this year, the 30-degree mark was cracked in Germany on Thursday: In Potsdam, 30.7 degrees Celsius were measured, as an employee of the German Weather Service in Offenbach said in the evening. In Berlin and around the capital, too, the temperature at many measuring points was over 30 degrees. "Otherwise, there were showers and thunderstorms in many places in Germany," said the DWD employee.
In Hesse, some severe storms swept across the country, but the Hessian police headquarters did not initially report any major weather-related damage or accidents in the afternoon. Even in the thunderstorm rain, numerous fans still waited to watch the German national football players at public training before the 1000th international match against Ukraine. However, Germany coach Hansi Flick had to do without Leipzig DFB Cup winners Timo Werner and Benjamin Henrichs at the start of preparations for the first of three friendly matches on Thursday at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt.
In Baden-Wuerttemberg, there was a serious accident with several vehicles due to a hailstorm on the Autobahn 81 near Boxberg in the Main-Tauber district, when a motorist skidded due to poor visibility - three people were seriously injured and four people were slightly injured, according to the police. In addition, severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and hail showers swept across the Black Forest, the Swabian Alb and the Stuttgart region, but no major damage was reported from there until the evening.
A storm flooded streets in Middle Franconia, cellars were full, lightning struck houses and power boxes. In Nuremberg, "several units" of the fire brigade are on the way to work through more than 200 incident sites, the fire brigade tweeted. According to a spokesman, no injuries were initially reported to the police headquarters. In the south-east of the city and at the Plärrer, an important traffic junction, traffic lights and tram traffic were cancelled. The cause was probably a lightning strike in a power box. At the Kirchentag, the open-air program had to be interrupted due to the storm.
It remains summery
On Friday, it will remain warm, along the Rhine even 31 degrees are possible, according to DWD information. The 30-degree mark can also be exceeded for the first time on the Moselle and Main. On Friday afternoon, heavy showers and thunderstorms may form again, especially in the middle of Germany. Meteorologists speak of "hot days" at temperatures above 30 degrees.
At the weekend, a friendly mix of sun and clouds awaits, showers and thunderstorms remain the exception. In the west, 32 degrees are possible in many places.