Germany braces for second autumn storm as injuries and rail chaos persist
Storm Luise caused injuries and major rail disruptions, and the incoming storm Manja is set to hit the North Sea coast on Sunday.
Luise, the first strong autumn storm of the year, left two people seriously injured in Nastätten after a gust toppled a market stand, while a cyclist in Seligenstadt was rescued from a fallen tree branch and a pedestrian in Lebach suffered a minor injury from a displaced advertising sign. Rail services were heavily affected: a foreign object struck the overhead line at Karlsruhe station, an ICE in Aachen was rescued by a diesel locomotive, and trees blocked tracks near Neuss and Stuttgart.
The storm also forced the closure of major outdoor roller coasters at Europa-Park in Rust and prompted numerous emergency deployments, with the Saarland police responding to 59 storm-related incidents. The German Weather Service predicts that Manja will bring gusts up to 100 km/h along the North Sea coast and raise water levels, potentially flooding low-lying areas such as Hamburg's fish market and prompting ferry cancellations to Helgoland and the Halligen.
Why it matters
The storms cause injuries, transport chaos and flood risks, affecting daily life across large parts of Germany.
How this story developed
- Oct 17 Met Office warns of unsettled autumn weather and cooler London nights
- Oct 20 The Met Office warns that Storm Austen will bring wind gusts of 50-60mph to much of southern Britain, with the strongest coastal areas possibly seeing speeds over 70mph.
- Oct 22 Met Office expanded the yellow wind warning to cover all of Wales, forecasting gusts of 70 mph or higher.
- Oct 23 The country has remained storm‑free and is experiencing drought conditions.
- Oct 23 Storm Austen moved into France and Belgium, causing power outages and transport disruptions, while Storm Boelo prompted amber wind warnings and rail service suspensions in Scotland.
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