A huge cleanup is underway after a storm dubbed 'Detlef' left significant disruption and damage across several German states over the weekend.
The German Weather Service (DWD) said winds reached 75-88 kilometres per hour, with some isolated gusts even getting to 100 kilometres per hour.
In the southern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, two people were seriously injured on Saturday when a falling tree hit their minibus during severe weather. A rescue helicopter flew the 58-year-old driver to a hospital, while the 57-year-old passenger was rushed to a clinic by ambulance.
In Bad Sobernheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, a 38-year-old man was seriously injured when he was hit by a falling branch while fishing on the Lahn River. The man had to be freed by the fire department and taken to hospital by a helicopter.
Weather-related incidents also hit the Harz region, where high winds hampered the rescue of victims. In some areas, emergency helicopters could not be deployed due to the weather.
In Munich, a construction worker had to be rescued from a balcony after he got trapped in a high-rise apartment due to the extreme winds.
The effects of the storm were also felt in North Rhine-Westphalia. Fallen trees resulted in several rescue operations, while Cologne Zoo was closed due to a fallen branch.
Travel disruption
Northern Germany was hit hard by the storm conditions. The storm surge resulted in cancelled ferries to the North Sea and Baltic Sea islands and left a cruise ship stranded in Hamburg.
A campsite on the East Frisian island of Norderney was flooded, as was the fish market in Hamburg.
READ ALSO: Storm causes disruption to ferry services in northern Germany
Roads were closed throughout Germany, mainly due to fallen trees and branches.
Severe disruption also affected Bavaria. As of Monday morning, train services between Murnau and Oberammergau in the Upper Bavarian district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen remained suspended.
According to local broadcasters, a tree fell onto the overhead line along the route on Saturday night, causing a regional train to come to a halt in the middle of the forest after a sudden power failure. Fire and rescue crews were called to safely evacuate around 40 passengers from the train.
Trains on the RB 63 line remain out of service due to damage to the overhead line and ongoing repair work. Deutsche Bahn said the repairs are expected to be completed during the course of Monday, with a replacement bus service operating in the meantime.
What will the weather hold this week?
Rain and clouds will linger across much of the country at the start of the week.
According to the DWD, stormy conditions may affect some regions on Monday, though the winds are expected to ease as the day goes on. The agency has warned of possible gale-force gusts along the Baltic Sea coast, as well as in the Fichtelberg and Brocken mountains, the Bavarian Forest and the Alps.
In Bavaria, persistent rain is forecast from midday Monday, with snowfall expected at higher elevations in the Alps.
The unsettled weather will continue over the next few days. From Tuesday, conditions should gradually calm, though scattered showers are still likely through the week.
Temperatures are set to reach highs of 11 to 16C on Tuesday, climbing to between 14 and 18C from Wednesday onwards. By Thursday, forecasters expect a bit more sunshine, although isolated showers remain possible.
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