Germany – Berlin Streets Under Water After 150mm of Rain in 24 Hours

Hours of heavy rain between 29 and 30 June, 2017, caused surface flooding in parts of eastern Germany, including the capital Berlin and surrounding areas of Brandenburg.

The rain began around midday Thursday, 29 June. According to reports from Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), some areas of Berlin recorded more than 150 mm of rain in 24 hours, over twice the amount normally seen during the whole of an average June.

Media reports said that an incredible 247 mm of rain was recorded in 24 hours in Oranienburg, a city just to the north of Berlin.

Berlin fire department (Berliner Feuerwehr) reported as many as 1,251 weather-related operations to 23:00 on 29 June, with a further 200 reported during the early hours of 30 June. Berliner Feuerwehr said that such high numbers are only usually seen during New Year’s Eve celebrations (which usually involve huge amounts of fireworks in Berlin). No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.

Some streets of the capital were flooded up to 50 cm deep. Transport was badly affected and some underground stations flooded. Some flights to and from Berlin Tegel Airport were delayed and parts of the busy A100 autobahn were closed due flooding in some of the road’s tunnels.

An apartment block in the city district of Charlottenburg was evacuated because of a possible risk of collapse. However the residents were soon able to return.

Areas surrounding Berlin were also affected, in particular Oranienburg and Potsdam.

Rainfall Figures

Below is a selection of rainfall figures for eastern parts of Germany for a 24 hour period, 29 to 30 June. Figures from DWD.

• Berlin-Tegel 152.4 mm
• Berlin-Tempelhof 112.8 mm
• Berlin-Dahlem 93.0 mm
• Potsdam 73.5 mm
• Marnitz 112.9 mm
• Waren 80.8 mm
• Neuruppin 84.9 mm
• Lindenberg 75.2 mm

Social Media

Happy Rainyday! #berlin #regen #unwetter #yorckstraße #überflutung minimalustig pic.twitter.com/R3HwOPBP1t

— Florian Luedtke (@luedtke_florian) June 29, 2017

#summer #in #berlin #hoodtv #like berlincityglobal #on #fb #followme #on #instagramm #Unwetter #flut pic.twitter.com/5VhBaiFwOt

— Rob Berlincityglobal (@RobBerlincityg1) June 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/morgenpost/status/880482911216177152

#Biesdorf: Unterführung am U-Bahnhof Biesdorf Süd mit Wasser vollgelaufen, Feuerwehr mit mehreren Pumpen im Einsatz pic.twitter.com/wqPBHrmxhD

— Polizeireporter-BM (@PolReporter) June 30, 2017

Berlin aktuell so: pic.twitter.com/394wC2XhcD

— ninjanos (@Blue_Bird_x3) June 29, 2017

Poland

Severe weather, including heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, has also affected several provinces in Poland.

According to European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), numerous provinces (Voivodeships) in Poland have been affected by the severe weather, and local media report that 6 people have been injured and 470 buildings damaged.

ECHO says that severe weather, including some flooding, was reported in the provinces of West Pomerania, Lublin, Greater Poland, Subcarpathia, Opole, Łódź, Lubusz, Warmia-Masuria, Kuyavia-Pomerania, Kuyavia-Pomerania, Masovia, Podlaskie and Lesser Poland.

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