Severe Thunderstorms Cause Disruptions, Accidents Across Eastern Germany

Powerful thunderstorms swept through several German states on Thursday evening, triggering a wave of accidents, emergency responses, and significant traffic disruptions.

In Berlin, an S-Bahn train carrying approximately 100 passengers collided with a tree that had fallen onto the tracks due to the storm. The train's front window shattered, but fortunately, no one was injured. Service on the affected line resumed after about an hour. Elsewhere in the city, lightning strikes caused delays and cancellations on numerous train lines.

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The route has been cleared again.

In Brandenburg, emergency services responded to at least 13 incidents, primarily dealing with broken tree crowns and fallen trees. Several areas reported flooded basements and roads. Saxony-Anhalt experienced a high volume of calls, with fire departments responding to at least 70 alerts for flooded basements, submerged streets, and trees or branches obstructing roadways. No injuries were reported in the state.

One particularly hard-hit area was Dessau-Roßlau, where the fire department received nearly continuous reports of flooded basements and streets following a severe storm with heavy rain and thunder. The city reported 121 rescue operations and eight fire incidents related to the weather. Firefighters described the situation as unprecedented in terms of the number of calls received in such a short period. In a separate incident on the A36 highway, a car skidded due to aquaplaning, but its occupants were unharmed. In Leipzig, Saxony, emergency services were involved in rescuing stand-up paddlers from a lake.

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We haven't had this many operations in such a short time for ages.