After the early onset of winter, quite a few people were probably hoping for a white Christmas this year, but these wishes remain largely unfulfilled. Snow is only likely to occur in mountains; at lower altitudes, the probability is only around five percent, according to the German Weather Service (DWD). Instead, it is likely to blow strongly at first: a low pressure area formed near Iceland, which moved to southern Scandinavia as the storm “Zoltan” and whose warm front hit Germany on Thursday night.
“The wind field of the storm depression will hit us on Thursday. There will be widespread squalls, especially with the passage of the cold front over the course of Thursday, and individual severe squalls,” said a DWD meteorologist to the German Press Agency. The wind will be strongest in the afternoon and evening until Friday morning. Hurricane-like gusts are to be expected on the North and Baltic Seas and in the mountains, as well as storm surges on the coasts. Speeds of around 150 kilometers per hour are possible in the mountains, up to 130 on the coasts, up to around 100 in the northwestern inland and up to around 80 kilometers per hour elsewhere. The maps below provide an overview of the current weather situation and show where there are currently the heaviest storms and rain.
Reports and pictures of the storm can be found here:
To the stern live blog
The interactive map below shows where the strongest gusts are currently occurring. You can also view the forecast for a later date using the timeline at the bottom of the graphic. At the top right, the level displayed can also be changed to, for example, thunderstorms, rain or snow. A view with severe weather warnings is also possible. You can move the crop and zoom in or out as you wish.
The service is provided by Windy.com. The makers use the model from the “European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts” for their representations and forecasts.
The map above shows where the strongest gusts are expected today. The view is updated regularly. Clicking on the map leads to the wetter.de portal, which, like stern, belongs to RTL Deutschland.
The map shows what the current probability of snow is at Christmas. It is also provided by Wetter.de.
In the gallery: Was the weather in the 1970s like it is today? No. Even if some people feel otherwise: the data is crucial. And they also point to the future.
Sources: DWD, DPA, Wetter.de
