Storm 'Joshua' Sweeps Across Germany, Causing Widespread Damage but No Injuries
Storm 'Joshua' has brought strong winds and flooding to Germany, causing significant property damage and transport disruptions but no injuries reported so far.
- • Storm 'Joshua' caused wind speeds up to 120 km/h and flooding along the North Sea coast.
- • Emergency services responded to incidents across several German states with no injuries reported.
- • Significant property damage includes torn roofs and fallen trees affecting cars and buildings.
- • Transport disruptions occurred, with train delays and ferry suspensions, while a cruise ship returned early due to the storm.
Key details
Storm 'Joshua' has traversed Germany, bringing strong winds of up to 120 km/h along the North Sea coast and triggering emergency responses from police and fire services across multiple states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, and Lower Saxony. The storm caused significant property damage, such as roofs torn off buildings in Baden-Württemberg estimated at 100,000 euros in losses, and a 50-meter tree falling on nine cars and a residential building in Düsseldorf. Despite these incidents, there were no reported injuries, including a close call in Saarland where a fallen tree blocked a regional train with eleven passengers onboard.
Flooding was reported in Wilhelmshaven as the North Sea overflowed, inundating the promenade and parking areas. Transport services experienced disruptions: several train lines, notably between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, faced delays, and ferry operations were suspended due to severe weather. A cruise ship from Aida returned early to Hamburg. The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of hurricane-force winds reaching up to 130 km/h in exposed areas and forecast persistent stormy and wet conditions, especially along the coast, into the weekend.
Additional incidents included a capsized sailboat on Lake Constance, with two sailors rescued suffering minor hypothermia, and fallen trees closing parts of the A28 highway temporarily. The storm surge along the Elbe and North Sea coasts is expected to intensify in the afternoon before winds calm by evening.
Meteorologist Tanja Egerer highlighted that wind gusts reached 108 km/h in northern regions, with persistent storm conditions predicted throughout the weekend, including heavy rain at the North Sea coast. Interactive weather maps provide ongoing updates on the evolving situation, helping residents track storm impacts in real time.