A weather front named “Storm Axel” brought heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms to parts of Germany between 20 and 22 May, 2019.

Several states have been affected including Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North-Rhine Westphalia, Hesse, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony.

Some areas of Bavaria recorded over 250mm of rain in 48 hours to 22 May, according to Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD). Parts of Switzerland and Austria have also seen heavy rain, including record levels in the western state of Vorarlberg.

In Germany, flood damage caused a hospital to be evacuated in Helmstadt in the state of Lower Saxony. One fatality was blamed on the heavy rain after a car skidded off an Autobahn in Aurach, Bavaria. Rail travel was disrupted in Allgäu Region after a train track was flooded.

Local media reported that the Obere Argen river rose rapidly, threatening to flood parts of the city of Wangen, Baden-Württemberg. Likewise in Hesse, levels of the river Losse, a tributary of the Fulda, climbed to the danger mark, prompting the city of Kassel to erect flood defences.

Levels of the Fulda River in Hesse and the Danube in Bavaria remain high.

Losse River at Helsa, near Kassel, Hesse, Germany, May 2019. Image: HLNUG

Obere Argen river at Epplings, near Wangen, Baden-Württemberg, May 2019. Image: Landesanstalt für Umwelt Baden-Württemberg

 

Social Media

Abschwächung der #Dauerregenlage. Bilanz: regional über 250mm in 48h am nördl. Alpenrand, über 100 mm in 24/48h in den östl. Mittelgebirgen von NRW und HE, sowie nördl. Schwarzwald und schwäb. Alb. pic.twitter.com/hWTjJOZTcn

— DWD Klima und Umwelt (@DWD_klima) May 22, 2019

Sehr große Regenmengen im Westen Österreichs: Der starke Regen in Westösterreich hat in Teilen Vorarlbergs neue Rekorde für die Regenmenge in 48 Stunden gebracht. https://t.co/CeFwziUqvW

— zamg.at (@ZAMG_AT) May 22, 2019

Hohe 24h-Regensummen!

In der Mitte und im Süden regnete es wie aus Kübeln. Spitzenwerte Hessisch-Lichtenau & Schlüchtern (HE) jeweils 95 l/m², gefolgt von Birx (HE) 93 l/m² & Schotten (HE) 91 l/m². Im Süden teils mehr. In Jachenau (BY) 135 l/m² in Balderschwang (BY) 112 l/m²./V pic.twitter.com/fGSVNqHX3s

— DWD (@DWD_presse) May 21, 2019

Die Obere Argen verwandelte sich am Dienstag zwar wieder in einen reißenden Fluss, die Situation entspannte sich aber bereits am Nachmittag. Die Ereignisse im chronologischen Zeitraffer. #ravensburghttps://t.co/Rt3mxUgXt3

— Schwäbische Ravensburg (@SZ_Ravensburg) May 22, 2019

#Feuerwehr #kassel baut Damm an der #Losse#notfallks #axel #dauerregenpic.twitter.com/zGpLZ5SR07

— Stadt Kassel (@StadtKassel) May 21, 2019

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