Bahn is gradually phasing out regional traffic in the north and NRW

Berlin,London At least eight people died on Friday in Germany and other countries due to the hurricane Zeynep. But it could get even worse: The German Weather Service (DWD) had predicted that the dangerous storm would only develop its full force on Saturday night.

According to the police, a driver died on Friday evening near Altenberge in North Rhine-Westphalia when he crashed his car into a tree lying across the road. The trapped 56-year-old died at the scene of the accident. The WDR had previously reported about it.

Around the same time, a man was driving his car in nearby Saerbeck when, according to the police, the vehicle overturned. The 33-year-old also died at the scene of the accident. The cause of this accident was initially unclear, the car was probably hit by a gust of wind, said a spokesman for the fire department in the evening. If confirmed, he would be the ninth victim of the hurricane.

In the Netherlands, three people were killed by falling trees, including a cyclist. Britain also reported three fatalities. In London, the highest red warning level was declared for the first time. In Ireland, a man died as a result of the hurricane.

French households without electricity

At least eleven people were injured in France. In the north of the country around 130,000 households were without electricity in the evening.

In Thuringia, gusts of wind caused vehicles north of Erfurt to tip over like toys. A spokesman for the state operations center in Erfurt said a car with a trailer was blown off the road on federal highway 4 near Greußen. The wind overturned a transporter near Straußfurt. People weren’t hurt here.

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According to the police in Fulda, a tree fell on a car in eastern Hesse – the driver was slightly injured and the passenger was seriously injured. Because a construction crane in Aurich in East Friesland threatened to tip over, two single-family homes had to be evacuated there on Friday evening. “He turned and tilted significantly,” said a fire department spokesman. The crane was secured. In Hamburg, a tree fell on parked cars, slightly injuring a child who was riding his bike.

According to the DWD, the hurricane should reach the North Sea coast around midnight. It is the second severe storm situation in Germany within a short period of time. It should remain stormy at least until Monday, according to the DWD. “It just doesn’t calm down,” said one meteorologist. According to the experts, the current storm situation should focus on the northern half of Germany until Saturday morning. However, the DWD had also issued severe weather warnings for hurricane-force gusts for more southern regions – parts of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and for northern regions of Bavaria.

Rail traffic partly stopped

Long-distance and regional traffic were gradually discontinued on Friday in northern Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia. The protection of travelers and employees has priority, it said. Passengers can use their tickets booked for the period from Thursday to Sunday flexibly until February 27 or cancel free of charge if they postpone trips because of the storm.

The meteorologists expected wind speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour on the North Sea coast. In the second half of the night, “Zeynep” should hit the Baltic coast, and then gradually subside. This means that the risk of storms has been banned for the time being, even if it stays stormy, said a DWD meteorologist.

A storm surge was expected on the North Sea coast, in Hamburg, according to the forecast by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), a severe storm surge with water levels three meters above normal high water on Saturday night. The highest water level will probably be reached between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, said Bernd Brügge from the BSH.

“Ylenia” ensures wind power record values

On the North Sea coast, one speaks of a storm surge when the flood water is at least 1.5 meters higher than normal. A severe or very severe storm surge is only spoken of from values ​​of 2.5 or 3.5 meters. The fish market in Hamburg-Altona had already been flooded early on Friday morning.

According to an analysis by the energy company Eon, the previous hurricane “Ylenia” brought a wind power record. On Wednesday, with a peak of 47.12 gigawatts, more wind power was fed into the German power grid than ever before, according to Eon on Friday in Munich after evaluating data from the Federal Network Agency. The new high was reached on Wednesday evening.

In the previous storm, at least three drivers died in weather-related accidents in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt: Two were killed by falling trees, a third died when his trailer got into the oncoming lane in the storm and an accident occurred.

“Ylenia” alone could cost Germany’s insurers half a billion euros, estimated the management consultancy Meyerthole Siems Kohlruss (MSK) in Cologne, which specializes in actuarial mathematics. Almost all regions of Germany were hit by the storm, the experts said on Friday. A loss of this magnitude occurs every one to two years.

VW is cutting shifts in Emden

Because of the approaching hurricane, Volkswagen is temporarily suspending production at its Emden plant. A VW spokeswoman confirmed a corresponding report by the “Emder Zeitung” on Friday afternoon.

Accordingly, the late and night shifts were canceled on Friday. Employees were asked to stay at home. This happens out of caution, said the VW spokeswoman. The aim is to protect employees from the storm on their way to and from the plant.

On Saturday, the early shift was also supposed to start work a little later. It was not known how many workers were affected. A total of around 9,000 people work at VW in Emden.

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