Severe Storms Cause Chaos and Fatality in Germany

A 60-year-old cyclist has died and three others, including two children, were injured in Karlsruhe after being crushed by a falling tree during a violent storm. The severe weather—including a destructive “supercell” downpour, hail, and heavy winds—battered southern and southwestern Germany, prompting Karlsruhe police to declare a state of emergency. Structural damage was widespread across Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, with felled trees, flooded highways, and a lightning strike on a home causing numerous injuries. Meanwhile, the German Meteorological Service (DWD) has issued red alerts for 10 regions across Thuringia and Bavaria, warning that imminent thunderstorms could bring up to 35 liters of rain per square meter in a short time.