Germany is expecting the “Sabine” hurricane depression on Sunday – and the effects are already being felt. As a precaution, the Bundesliga match between Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FC Köln, which was planned for Sunday afternoon, was canceled. On Sunday morning, the DWD warned of severe weather in parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Restrictions in traffic, also for rail and air travelers, can be expected.
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the first foothills on the North Sea are likely to be felt in the morning. In the course of the day, “Sabine” then spreads to the entire north and center of the country with a heavy storm and gale gusts. The peak of the storm was reached in the middle of the night on Monday, and in the south early Monday morning. The hurricane is accompanied by violent showers and thunderstorms in many places.
The one for the people of Berlin and Brandenburg will also start the next week stormily, although the strength of the gusts in the capital region was initially not foreseeable. Storm and rain therefore begin on Sunday evening and, according to previous forecasts, last until Tuesday morning.
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The looming hurricane already has concrete consequences: the Bundesliga match between Gladbach and Cologne on Sunday afternoon was canceled due to the storm’s low. Both clubs announced this in the morning on their websites. The Rhenish derby should have started at 3:30 p.m. in Borussia Park and would have ended shortly before 5:30 p.m. Though no severe weather is expected during this period, the storm will soon pass through the region. However, a secure arrival of the fans is not guaranteed, the host Gladbach club justified the decision.
In “close coordination” with the city of Mönchengladbach, the fire brigade, the police and the German Football League (DFL), Borussia decided to cancel the game. “The decision was made early Sunday morning after an analysis of the last weather forecast.” A catch-up date was not yet known, but the tickets remained valid, it was said.
The Borussia Park with 54,022 spectators was sold out for the 90th derby between the two clubs. Since the game is considered a risk game, increased security measures were planned around the encounter.
Hurricane “Sabine”: rail traffic across Germany could be severely hampered
Meteorologist Andreas Friedrich from the German Weather Service said on Thursday in Offenbach: “On Monday, rail traffic could be severely handicapped.” Germany must prepare for this.
According to a spokesman, the weather at Deutsche Bahn is closely monitored. “We have mobilized all readiness and increased it twice in every region,” said a rail spokesman on Saturday. The train staff was prepared for damage such as destroyed overhead lines or overturned trees. Mobile task forces with chainsaws should be deployed to clear blocked tracks. The staff at the train stations and in the situation centers will also be increased.
The safety of passengers is a priority, according to Deutsche Bahn. This could possibly also lead to trains having to stay in the train stations. The train advises against traveling in the coming days.
Cancel train tickets free of charge because of “Sabine”
Deutsche Bahn also announced that long-distance train tickets for the days from February 9 to February 11 inclusive can be used flexibly between Saturday and February 18, 2020. This applies to both flex price and saver price tickets. Those who prefer to forego the trip during the storm can return tickets already booked free of charge using an online form. Seat reservations can also be canceled free of charge.
Due to the storm, the train recommends the latest travel information for online and via the DB Navigator app.
Hurricane leads to cancellations and delays in air traffic
Frankfurt Airport hopes for as few problems in air traffic as possible, since “Sabine” should hit the center of Germany with full force only in the night of Monday. During this time, night flights are prohibited at the air traffic hub. “However, we are monitoring the situation very closely,” said a spokeswoman for the airport operator Fraport. Containers on the airport site have already been secured.
The storm could also restrict flight operations at the capital’s airports, Tegel and Schönefeld. An airport spokeswoman said that handling is no longer possible from a wind speed of more than 70 kilometers per hour.
Lufthansa announced on Saturday that there would be flight cancellations and delays from Saturday afternoon to Tuesday. Passengers should check the status of their flight on the Lufthansa website in advance. Security is a top priority. As a precaution, the airline KLM canceled dozens of intra-European flights to and from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
“Sabine” brings hurricane gusts on the coasts and in the mountains
According to the DWD, “Sabine” is a winter orcan that occurs every two years. “Sabine” doesn’t get as strong as “Kyrill” (2007) or “Lothar” (1999). The wind can blow on the coasts and in the mountains at up to 119 kilometers per hour. That is hurricane force. At the weekend, the DWD will issue severe weather warnings if precise assessments are also available by region, said Friedrich. At the moment, details are not yet foreseeable.
Outdoor items should be brought to safety, cars should not be under trees so that they are not damaged by blown branches. Since roads could also be blocked by trees and roof tiles could be hurled down, “driving should perhaps even be avoided entirely”.
Better leave your car and motorcycle in a storm
Larger means of transport such as mobile homes or buses also offer storm more attack surface and could even tip over. In addition, drivers should pay attention to other road users who are also affected by the storm.
Many schools in NRW close due to storm warnings
In North Rhine-Westphalia, many large cities cancel classes at municipal schools on Monday, as announced on Friday and Saturday. In Baden-Württemberg, parents can have their children exempted from class on Monday.
Other European countries were also preparing for the hurricane low.
The Dutch weather service asked drivers not to drive trailers and caravans. The Dutch football association KNVB canceled all matches of the professional leagues on Sunday.
On Monday, the hurricane low will mainly sweep through southern Germany, otherwise the gusts will ease somewhat. However, it remains quite uncomfortable with a lot of rain, in the mountains also snow. The prospects are not much better for Tuesday either: it will stay wet and stormy. (Tsp, dpa, Reuters)
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