Thunderstorm chaos: Oberhavel under water – storms bring traffic chaos!

Thunderstorm chaos: Oberhavel under water – storms bring traffic chaos!

A severe storm hit the Oberhavel region on Thursday evening and had numerous consequences. The storm started at 6:01 p.m. and resulted in gusts of up to 105 km/h. Just a few hours earlier, the German Weather Service (DWD) had called on citizens to be vigilant and issued official weather warnings that pointed to increasing rain and violent thunderstorms. Loud maz-online.de Visibility was also severely impaired, which quickly caused the streets in Oranienburg to flood.

The situation on the S-Bahn lines in Oberhavel was particularly dramatic. S-Bahn traffic in Berlin was temporarily suspended at around 6:20 p.m., posing significant challenges for travelers. Lines S1, S8 and S25 were particularly affected. There were still problems on the S1 due to a fallen tree on the route in Berlin-Hermsdorf, which could mean that restoring traffic could take longer. After 10 p.m. there were still no S-Bahn connections in the region, which made the situation even more difficult for commuters and residents.

Heavy rain and storm damage

The rainfall was massive. In Germendorf, 17 liters of rain fell per square meter, while Nassenheide even recorded 25 liters. The weather conditions meant that streets, such as the village street in Schwante, were flooded. Hail also fell in Kremmen and Leegebruch. The Spandauer Landstrasse between Nieder Neuendorf and Spandau was particularly affected, as it was completely closed due to fallen trees, resulting in a blockage of 20 vehicles. The storm also brought lightning strikes and prevented normal traffic flow, which led to numerous fire brigade calls, reports news.de.

It was a state of emergency for the fire department in Hennigsdorf: dozens of missions had to be managed, while the Technical Relief Agency (THW) from Berlin-Spandau, Neukölln, Pankow as well as Potsdam, Neuruppin and Rathenow helped to repair the storm damage. The focus was on securing traffic routes and repairing storm damage.

Recommendations for action and warning levels

The DWD not only issued weather warnings, but also specific recommendations for action. The population was asked to avoid spending time outdoors and to retreat to safe buildings. Loose objects should also be secured and risky sections of traffic should be avoided. The warning levels for wind and thunderstorms had been upgraded, with an alarm being given for gusts of up to 105 km/h and heavy rain of up to 15 l/m² per hour. Further hourly weather readings recorded a temperature of 19°C with a humidity of 86% at 10pm, adding to the dangerous conditions weather.com.

Overall, the situation in Oberhavel is extremely challenging, while citizens are urged to remain vigilant and avoid inappropriate routes. The situation is expected to remain vulnerable to weather conditions in the coming days as more thunderstorms are forecast.