Germany news: Summer thunderstorms wreak havoc

Published June 20, 2026last updated June 20, 2026Germany was lashed overnight by summer storms that caused flooding, injuries and evacuations. Lightning, high winds and heavy rain saw several people hospitalized. DW has the latest.

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The western German state of Rheinland-Palatinate suffered major flooding as a result of heavy overnight rains

Nine people were injured, six seriously, when lightning struck a sports festival in southwestern Rastatt

In northern Flensburg, 13 people were injured and 5,000 evacuated from a music festival due to storms

A freight train derailed in Munich overnight, leaving one person seriously injured

Bundeswehr troops are in Estonia for a NATO training mission

Follow below for the latest developments regarding Germany for the weekend of Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21:

Skip next section Police: 1 seriously injured in Munich freight train derailment June 20, 2026

Police: 1 seriously injured in Munich freight train derailment

On Saturday, police in the Bavarian capital, Munich, said one person had been hospitalized with serious injuries when a freight train derailed, leaving two cars hanging off the side of a bridge.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) said the incident occurred on a freight-only track and no disruptions to regional or long-distance travel were expected.

In the derailment, two rail cars carrying as yet unknown non-hazardous-materials plunged off the side of a five-meter-tall (16-foot-tall) bridge. The cars came to rest wedged between the bridge and the roadway below.

It is unclear how long crews will need to remove the cars and their contents, but authorities say the area could be affected until sometime on Sunday.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Fkap

Skip next section Storms wreak havoc across Germany June 20, 2026

Storms wreak havoc across Germany

Storms carrying torrential rains caused flooding and injured several people across Germany overnight when high winds and lightning battered the country.

In southwestern Baden-Württemberg, nine people were injured when lighting struck an outdoor camping area during a handball festival. Authorities say several people were hospitalized but none had sustained serious injuries.

In Viöl, near Flensburg in northern Schleswig-Holstein, heavy storms injured 13 people and triggered the temporary evacuation of some 5,000 partiers attending an outdoor music festival there.

The German Weather Service (DWD) has forecast thunderstorms in southern and western parts of the country this Saturday, issuing severe weather warnings as summer temperatures climb.

https://p.dw.com/p/5FkZK

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage June 20, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Guten Morgen from DW news in Bonn, where skies are clear and the thermometer is climbing.

Overnight storms have wreaked havoc across Germany, with a number of weather incidents occurring in the south, west and north.

Heavy flooding inundated the western state of Rheinland-Palatinate as a result of heavy overnight rains in the region.

A number of injuries were reported as a result of such events. Nine people were injured, for instance, when lightning struck a sports festival in southwestern Rastatt. In northern Flensburg, 13 were injured and a further 5,000 evacuated from a music festival in the village of Viöl.

Elsewhere, Bundeswehr troops are conducting training operations in Estonia — a Baltic Sea NATO partner feeling pressure from its restive neighbor Russia.

A freight train also derailed in Munich overnight, leaving one person seriously injured.

Stay tuned throughout the weekend for the latest Germany-related stories in this blog.

https://p.dw.com/p/5FkUJ

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