Germany’s biggest airport was Thursday scrambling to book passengers on new flights after a massive storm caused dozens of cancellations and triggered flooding that deluged streets and toppled trees. The storm swept over southwest Germany late Wednesday, dumping vast quantities of water and reportedly unleashing over 25,000 lightning bolts in about an hour.
Video shared on social media showed streets flooded and Frankfurt’s airport wholly submerged. According to Deutsche Welle, the airport’s ground handling came to a standstill, and passengers on several arriving flights could not disembark.
The airport has since worked to help stranded passengers, offering them hotel rooms and alternative flights where possible. In addition, the airport has provided busses to transfer those unable to fly to other German cities. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn has halted long-distance train services across northern Germany due to heavy rainfall and track damage.
Travelers are advised to check their airline and travel agencies’ websites for updates. The German meteorological service has warned that thunderstorms could affect much of the country over the coming days, with the risk of rain and hail.
In addition to slamming down with rain, the thunderstorms have also deposited sheets of hail. The hail was especially heavy in Reutlingen, where Reuters reported residents were forced to evacuate their homes as water poured into basements and garages.
Hail and strong winds are affecting other areas of Europe as well. Britain’s Met Office weather service has dubbed the storm “Dudley.” The storm has brought strong winds, causing power outages and disrupting travel plans. It has also led to flight delays at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, with Lufthansa canceling some of its services.
The massive storm is a reminder of the importance of climate change and its impact on weather events. Heavy rains are becoming more frequent and extreme, leading to the destruction of farmland and a surge in the number of flood victims in Germany. A massive flood in 2021 displaced over 180,000 people and killed more than 180 in the western states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. The disaster has also prompted local governments to take steps to reduce the vulnerability of urban areas and rural communities to such extreme weather events. The German government plans to improve the nation’s resilience to severe weather.
The plan calls for reducing the population density in vulnerable areas, building more dams, and investing in flood prevention measures. Efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions would also be part of the strategy. The plan is expected to be approved by the German cabinet in January. The German government will then seek approval from parliament to implement it. Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced support for the proposal. The plan is critical to the government’s efforts to meet its targets under the country’s international carbon reduction agreement with the EU.
