Germany is facing widespread stormy weather. Heavy squalls or hurricane-like gusts are to be expected on the coasts and in the higher mountains, and on the Brocken – the highest mountain in northern Germany – hurricane strength will be reached, according to the forecast from the German Weather Service (DWD) this morning.
The ferry company Scandlines has temporarily stopped operations on the Baltic Sea ferry connection between Rostock and the Danish town of Gedser. Operations are scheduled to resume in Rostock from 6 p.m. and in Gedser from 8:15 p.m., as stated on the Scandlines website.
On the North Sea, there are disruptions to ferry connections between Dagebüll – located on the mainland of Schleswig-Holstein – and the islands of Amrum and Föhr. Some trips between the islands and the mainland will be canceled in the morning, as can be seen on the Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei (W.D.R.) website.
Accident in Hamburg
In Hamburg there was an accident on subway line 1 this morning due to a fallen tree on the tracks. According to Hamburger Hochbahn AG, the train was no longer able to brake in time and drove over and through the tree. As a safety measure, the speed of subways on above-ground routes in Hamburg has now been reduced from 80 kilometers per hour to 40 kilometers per hour. If more trees fall onto the tracks due to the wind, the trains will be able to stop better, as a spokesman explained.
In addition to the high wind, the DWD meteorologists expect heavy clouds and showery precipitation at times, with breaks in between. It will be very mild this Wednesday with 8 to 15 degrees.
Train derailed in East Westphalia
A regional train derailed near Bad Driburg in East Westphalia because of a fallen tree. No one was injured, a spokesman for the train operator Nordwestbahn said. According to federal police, there were around 50 passengers on the train. They were taken off the train in the morning and transported on buses.
The train hit the fallen tree around 8:23 a.m. and jumped off the rails, but did not tip over, said a federal police spokesman. The tree had obviously been blown down due to the very strong wind.
According to Nordwestbahn, the rescue of the train should take until the evening because aid would have to be brought in. Only then will a decision be made as to whether and when the accident site will be reopened, said the Nordwestbahn spokesman.
