The German Weather Service (DWD) announced the weekend of 19 and 20 June as offering "heat, lightning and tropical nights". In large parts of Germany, the heat and tropical nights ended on Monday, June 21. What remained was a stable thunderstorm situation - especially over the southern half of Germany. Only at the weekend, the storm situation would calm down, at least for a few days, due to the arrival of a high pressure system. Yesterday, we already published an article about the severe hail storm destroying German greenhouses. As we have received more information from a Press Release since then, we hereby give you some additional information about the effects of the severe weather in Germany.
After the first partly heavy damages caused by hail and heavy rain on Monday -particularly in Baden-Württemberg as well as in the south and southeast of Bavaria- this thunderstorm situation culminated in another, significantly larger damage event for the horticultural sector on Wednesday, June 23.
This Plexiglas covering was completely shattered by hail on June 23. Photo: © GV
Tennis ball-sized hail stones
June 23 showed devastating horticultural damages. Both the Stuttgart region and parts of Bavaria were affected, such as the greater Munich area and the administrative districts of Lower Bavaria and Swabia. There were hail storms, sometimes dropping stones the size of a tennis ball, and heavy rainfall.
Hail the size of tennis balls hit the Reutlingen region in particular. Among other things, it completely shattered the Plexiglas roofing of a large greenhouse for ornamental plants. (See photo 1)
Damage caused by hail and/or heavy rain can be found throughout the entire horticultural sector. In addition to greenhouse facilities that were damaged by hail, potted plants in the open as well as nursery quarters were smashed by the hail or stood in water. Sales areas of retail facilities and garden centers were also affected.
"We expect around 100 cases of damage from Wednesday alone, plus the damage that has occurred since Monday," said Manfred Klunke, chairman of the horticultural insurance company, on the possible extent of the damage. Expressed in euros, this is likely to mean between €5 and €10 million in compensation payments. The experts of the horticulture insurance, who have been working in the damage areas since the beginning of the week, immediately started to settle the claims.
Gale-force winds also had a sporadic impact - as in this nursery quarter. Photos: © GV
The weather situation
Various low-pressure areas caused hot, very humid and unstable Mediterranean air to accumulate in Germany over the weekend of June 19-20. The probability of thunderstorms, especially hailstorms coupled with heavy rain and squalls, increased sharply over the course of the weekend. Thus, already on Saturday evening, June 19, heavy thunderstorms moved from France to Germany, which already hit the west and northwest of the country, especially with heavy rain and individual squalls.
In the course of Sunday, June 20, a large-scale severe thunderstorm situation built up over large parts of Germany, again coming from France. This finally unloaded with a first peak on Monday, June 21 - with a focus over the southern half of Germany. While the sultriness and heat dissipated, the thunderstorm situation remained in the south and center. It then erupted again on June 23. This weather situation is expected to continue up to and including Friday, June 25. After a temporary calming over the weekend, meteorologists expect increasingly muggy air from the southwest at the turn of the month, which will eventually spread over large parts of Germany. According to the DWD, a nationwide storm situation with heavy thunderstorms is threatening again.
For more information:
Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG
Von-Frerichs-Straße 8
D-65191 Wiesbaden
Tel: +49 611 - 56 94 - 0
Fax: +49 611 - 56 94 -140
E-Mail: service@GeVau.de
Web: https://www.gevau.de/