Dangerous black ice hit large parts of Germany at the start of the week before Christmas. The German Weather Service (DWD) temporarily issued a severe weather warning for parts of all federal states. At noon, a storm warning was still in effect for all eastern federal states as well as Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
Traffic obstructions are possible, and in some places roads and rails could even be impassable, it said. Approaching rain leads to an acute danger of black ice on frozen ground.
The DWD advised to avoid being outdoors as much as possible. Anyone who has to be out and about by car on Monday should adjust their driving style on the road. In addition, the DWD advised motorists to fill up their tanks and take blankets and warm drinks with them.
Numerous slippery accidents – Christmas markets closed
As a precaution, lessons were canceled in many schools, flights were canceled at airports, parks, zoos and Christmas markets were closed in many places, there were numerous car accidents, and Deutsche Bahn temporarily reduced the maximum speed of its trains due to freezing rain and ice formation. The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB) stopped the train service between Schierke and the Brocken for the whole of Monday due to the stormy weather.
In the Hanover region, in the district of Peine and in the city of Bremen, among other things, there were numerous slippery accidents during rush hour.
A 25-year-old driver died on the A27 near Walsrode at around 3.30 a.m. His car left the road because it was slippery, the car broke through the guardrail and crashed into a tree.
Pedestrians slip and fall
16 people were injured in a bus accident on a slippery road in Dreieich (Offenbach district) near Frankfurt. The bus left the road on Monday morning due to black ice and crashed into a tree. The bus driver and 15 passengers between the ages of 15 and 50 suffered minor injuries and bruises.
The Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg advised on Monday to refrain from excursions and walks in parks and gardens in Potsdam, Berlin and Brandenburg. In Thuringia, a spokeswoman for the situation center said there was a high number of accidents across the country. In Bavaria, it was especially smooth in Franconia: According to the police, in Nuremberg, for example, a number of pedestrians slipped and fell.
In Wismar (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) and Chemnitz (Saxony), for example, the Christmas markets were initially closed. In several districts and cities in Lower Saxony, but also in Bremen, face-to-face teaching at schools was cancelled. In Osnabrück and in the district of Wolfenbüttel, garbage collectors stayed in the yard in the morning.
Dozens of flights canceled in Frankfurt
Black ice and storms also led to several accidents during the night in the most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In Meinerzhagen (Märkischer Kreis), the driver of a gritter was slightly injured when it overturned. In Kierspe, also in the Märkisches Kreis, a driver slipped when getting out after hitting a garbage can with his car. In North Rhine-Westphalia, however, the situation eased again from 5 a.m., for example in the Ruhr area, so that many commuters were not aware of the black ice. Exceptions remained until midday East Westphalia with Bielefeld and higher regions.
At Germany’s largest airport in Frankfurt, processes got out of step. In view of the weather, there are delays in operations, the airport said. According to an airport spokeswoman, dozens of the around 1,100 take-offs and landings planned for Monday were canceled.
