Heavy rain flooded the A2 motorway so badly that almost half of cars were submerged in water. The water caused a closure for hours in Münsterland in the direction of Hanover on Tuesday. A police spokesman said he had never experienced such flooding of the road. The water was almost up to the windows of the stuck car. As a result, there was an eight-kilometer-long traffic jam.
Storms also caused isolated streets and flooded basements in other parts of North Rhine-Westphalia on Tuesday. Places affected were in East Westphalia-Lippe, Münsterland and the Ruhr area.
The German Weather Service (DWD) had warned of severe storms in parts of North Rhine-Westphalia. There could be gusts of wind up to force 10 and heavy rain with amounts between 60 and 90 liters per square meter in several hours.
