Status: 30.06.2024 16:18
There have been severe storms in Switzerland again. The authorities reported four fatalities. There were also deaths in France. The storms in Germany, however, were less severe than expected.
At least four people have died in severe storms in Switzerland. Three people were found dead after a landslide in the Maggia Valley in the canton of Ticino. Another person is still missing. Another person died in the canton of Valais.
Since Saturday afternoon, large parts of Switzerland have been hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain. Early on Sunday morning, residents of Prato-Sornico and the Maggia Valley were called upon to leave houses near the river. In the town of Mogno, 70 people were evacuated from a holiday camp and campsites. The floods blocked roads and a bridge was swept away. Some valleys near the Maggia Valley were also no longer accessible and cut off from electricity.
According to the police, the rescue operation in the valley is difficult due to the bad weather conditions. The disaster warning service Alertswiss reported that parts of Ticino were cut off from drinking water supplies. The rescue services were also examining how they could evacuate 300 people who had traveled there for a football tournament.
Rhône overflows its banks
In the canton of Valais, the authorities announced that a man had been found dead in a hotel in Saas-Grund. He was apparently surprised by the floodwaters. Another person is missing in the Valais Binntal.
In the canton, heavy rain and melting snow caused the Rhône and its tributaries to overflow their banks. According to local authorities, hundreds of people had to leave their homes. In Zermatt, the Rhône’s tributary, the Vispa, overflowed its banks.
The Simplon is also closed
According to the authorities, numerous roads in Valais have been closed due to the rain. Among them is the Simplon Pass, an important route for international traffic. Train traffic is also affected.
The previous weekend, unusually heavy rain and thunderstorms had already caused major damage in the southeast of the country. At least one person lost his life.
Three dead in France
In north-eastern France, three people in a car were killed by a falling tree. The tree crashed into the car with great force on Saturday evening during a storm as it was traveling on a country road near Rosnay-l’Hôpital, reported the broadcaster France 3, citing the local fire department.
Three passengers in the car were killed, and rescue workers freed a fourth person who was trapped but suffered life-threatening injuries.
Waterfall becomes a danger
In northern Italy, the rain of the past few days has turned several rivers and streams into raging floods. The situation was particularly spectacular in the small Alpine town of Noasca, which has a famous waterfall. At times, the water cascaded down more than 30 meters in such enormous quantities that a stream raged threateningly through the streets.
More than a dozen tourists were evacuated as a precaution. According to official reports, no one was injured. Mayor Domenico Aimonino said: “The situation was always under control. But I have to admit that we were scared.”
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail also in Germany
During the night to Sunday, there were also heavy thunderstorms with heavy rain and in some cases hail in the west and southwest of Germany. The storms struck right in the middle of the round of 16 of the European Football Championship.
Many fans wanted to watch the German team’s match against Denmark in Dortmund in front of screens or TVs in the open air. Meteorologists from the German Weather Service (DWD) had warned against going to public viewing events in the affected regions. Several events were then cancelled.
In the end, the thunderstorms were less severe than expected. There were “only very isolated cases of heavy squalls and hurricane-like gusts,” said a DWD spokesman. These occurred locally, especially in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. The strongest gust was measured at 107 kilometers per hour in Frankenberg, Hesse.
According to the DWD, amounts of between 30 and 40 litres per square metre fell in some areas within a short period of time. In some places, 50 to 60 litres fell.
