Severe Storms Hit Bavaria
Bavaria was struck by intense thunderstorms on Tuesday, July 14, bringing heavy rain, hail, and violent gusts.1 The storms left a trail of damage across the state, with emergency services responding to hundreds of callouts.
Germany's national weather service, the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), warned of severe thunderstorms with hurricane-force gusts and large hailstones.18 The DWD also warned of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, July 15.18
Districts Most Betroffen
Several Landkreise faced active severe weather alerts. Kreis Dillingen a.d. Donau, Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, Kreis Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Kreis Landsberg am Lech, Kreis Lindau (Bodensee), and the Bodenseekreis were all under official METEOALARM alerts for severe thunderstorms.7
West of Munich, Kreis Starnberg and Kreis Fürstenfeldbruck faced warnings of severe thunderstorms with hurricane-force gusts, heavy downpours, and hail, valid until 21:30.10
What the DWD Forecast Said
A DWD advance notice issued on July 15 warned of severe thunderstorms expected from early afternoon onward. The agency cited the potential for hailstones around 5 cm in diameter, hurricane-force gusts up to 120 km/h, and intense rainfall reaching 40 litres per square metre.
In Unterfranken specifically, rainfall rates of up to 40 l/m² per hour and heavy storm gusts of up to 95 km/h were listed as possible. The DWD noted that significant damage to vegetation and infrastructure could result.
Tuesday's Damage
Tuesday's storms caused damage across Bavaria, with the DWD noting that severe thunderstorms had already struck the state on that day.18 One animal shelter was among the facilities affected, posting photos of storm damage on social media and appealing for help.
Damage spanned both urban and rural areas of the state.
Ongoing Risk Wednesday
The severe weather threat did not ease overnight. Official warnings for strong thunderstorms remained in force in several Bavarian Kreise as of the morning of July 15.
The DWD's advance notice pointed to thunderstorm activity easing temporarily late in the evening of July 15, before potentially resuming. Residents in affected districts were advised to follow official guidance from the DWD and local authorities.
Check the forecast for your city at PrestoWeather to stay ahead of rapidly changing conditions across the region.