Autumn has arrived in Germany with a vengeance, bringing heavy rainfall, storm warnings and even the first snow in the Alps.
The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued level three of four severe weather alerts for parts of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
Forecasters expect widespread rainfall of 50 to 80 liters per square meter through Thursday morning, with some areas potentially reaching 100 liters.
Alerts are in effect for the Karlsruhe and Stuttgart regions as well as Lower Franconia and southern Hesse. According to the DWD, the heaviest rain will fall on Wednesday across central and southern regions.
Heavy rain and cooler temperatures
Meteorologist Dr. Karsten Brandt from Donnerwetter.de noted that while rainfall amounts are significant, widespread damage is not expected apart from localized flooding and hazardous driving conditions.
By Wednesday evening, continuous rain is also forecast for the Westerwald region. Daytime highs will stay cool, around 14°C in most areas and only 8°C in higher elevations.
Overnight lows between Wednesday and Thursday will range from 9°C down to 4°C.
Meteorologist Stefan Zender from WetterKontor added that the rain bands will expand northward overnight, reaching parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Thuringia and western Saxony.
First snow in the Alps
The DWD also expects snow to fall in the Alps down to elevations of 1,800 meters. In higher mountain regions, up to 10 centimeters of fresh snow may accumulate by Thursday morning.
In contrast, northern and eastern Germany can expect calmer conditions with plenty of sunshine and temperatures between 16°C and 18°C in the coming days.
Weekend outlook: Late taste of summer
From Friday onwards, the weather is forecast to improve nationwide. Temperatures are likely to climb back toward 20°C, bringing a return of dry, bright and almost summery conditions just in time for the weekend.
