Deadly Tornadoes Kills At Least One Person and Injures Dozens in Germany

Tornadoes killed at least one person and injured 43 others as they swept through western and northern Germany, making some roads impassable and putting public transport at a standstill in several locations nationwide.

Emerging reports in recent days suggested severe storms unleashed multiple tornadoes in different parts of the European country late last week in a rare incident of such magnitude concerning extreme weather in the continent.

While thunderstorms do occur in Germany and its surrounding countries, Europe is not free from the dangers of tornadoes, where several hundred occur each year.

Unlike in the United States, where the frequency of tornadoes is greater, the impact of tornadoes is also significant in Germany, especially in rural and structurally-fragile areas.

Germany Deadly Tornadoes

A total of seven tornadoes wreaked havoc across several cities and towns across Germany on Friday, May 20, according to the European Severe Weather Database.

The most affected areas by the severe storms are the city of Paderborn and the town of Lippstadt in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The severe weather brought not only tornadoes but a combination of intense rainfall and flooding rallying behind the path of destruction of the wind storm.

This has led to the high number of reported casualties mentioned earlier.

In the town of Wittgert, Rhineland-Palatinate, a 38-year-old man died of electrocution after finding himself stuck in a flooded cellar.

In Paderborn, 43 people were injured when a twister tore through the city's downtown area on Friday afternoon, according to Paderborn Mayor Michael Dreier, as cited by AccuWeather.

Related weather events were reported in Hellinghausen are of Lippstadt where a tornado ripped off a church tower roof.

Local authorities have advised the public to stay in their home to allow recovery efforts to progress.

Germany Storm Warnings

Last week, meteorologists issued a warning for heavy rain and hail in central and western Germany.

The weather forecast was also accompanied by the risks of storms producing wind gusts that can reach up to 130 kilometers per hour (81 miles per hour).

Prior to the devastation witnessed in Germany last Friday, the severe weather passed through Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands on Thursday, May 19.

In the storm's early stage, it already disrupted road traffic movement, halted train services, and flooded basements in western Germany due to torrential rain.

Germany Tornado Climatology

While the intensity of tornadoes is not like in the US, approximately 300 tornadoes hit Europe each year, according to the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), as cited by the European Commission, the European Union's executive body.

The ESSL highlights that Europe also endures severe weather events like thunderstorms and the spawn of tornadoes.

However, the impact of these natural phenomena can be devastating like Windstorm Kyrill in January 2007, which resulted in the loss of life and damage in Germany and the UK.

Following the recent tornadoes, the BBC Weather presenter Chris Fawkes stated that several tornadoes occur across Germany every year but most are short-lived and do not lead to significant damage.

Fawkes also added climate change is also a factor but is still a subject of debate.