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Heavy rainfall and flooding hits Germany's most populous state

Rachel Stern
Rachel Stern - rachel.stern@thelocal.com
Heavy rainfall and flooding hits Germany's most populous state
The Münster fire brigade diverts the water from a flood on Sunday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Feuerwehr Münster | Feuerwehr Münster

Parts of North Rhine-Westphalia issued a weather warning through Monday due to heavy rainfall on Sunday. But sunny skies are expected to return by mid-week.

Several parts of North Rhine-Westphalia were flooded amid an incessant downpour on Sunday - but no areas reported the maximum flooding levels that would merit evacuations.

In Bielefeld, the fire brigade said they responded to numerous calls over cellar and street flooding, and the Wackelpeter family festival was cancelled.

In Gütersloh, part of the Osnabrücker Landstraße was still under water on Monday morning. It remains closed to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Sunday also saw temporary closures on the A2 and the A33 due to accidents. Four people, including two children, were slightly injured in an accident on the A2 in the direction of Hanover late Sunday evening.

The intense weather followed a couple weeks of rain and storms throughout Germany. On Friday, the southwestern city of Reutlingen even turned to snowplows after its streets were coated in hail.

The floods in Germany, however, are minor compared to those currently occuring in Austria and Slovenia. Deemed one of the worst natural disasters in 30 years, at least four people have lost their lives.

READ ALSO: German city deploys snowplows after summer storm

One city particularly affected

The city of Hamm, situated between Dortmund and Münster, reported several power cuts on Sunday, as well as flooded roads and cellars. The Hamm fire brigade was involved in over 100 operations.

On the streets, the water was 20 to 30 centimetres high in places, which meant that many roads were impassable and some were even closed.

Hailstones lie on the ground after a storm in Reutlingen

Hailstones lie on the ground after a storm in Reutlingen on Saturday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Warnack

"I haven't seen that for a long time," a spokesperson told DPA. 

Several events had to be cancelled - including an airfield festival popular in the region. In Münster, there were also numerous calls to the fire brigade in the evening due to the enormous amounts of rain.

Will the rain continue into the coming week?

The German Weather Service (DWD) issued a severe weather warning with heavy rainfall for Hamm. According to the DWD, there were areas there where up to 50 litres of rain fell per square metre.

According to DWD, it will remain wet in western Germany over the coming days. Throughout Monday there will be lighter rainfall, with temperatures stretching between 17 and 20C. 

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On Tuesday, it will be cloudy and rainy with temperatures ranging from 17 to 21C. Wednesday will be more pleasant, with little rain and temperatures rising to 23C

Throughout Germany, DWD predicted there would be a mix of rainy and cloudy weather the first half of the week, with the sun slated to emerge on Thursday. On Friday, people in North Rhine-Westphlalia can expect a “real summer”, they said, as the mercury rises to at least 27C.

READ ALSO: Summer set to return to Germany with mid-August heat wave

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