Lightning strikes in Ulmer Münster: technical damage after storm!

Lightning strikes in Ulmer Münster: technical damage after storm!

On Saturday evening, the Ulm Münster was hit by lightning, which resulted in technical damage. During the storm, characterized by stormy weather, heavy rain and thunderstorms, numerous open air events from the German Music Festival had to be canceled. Many visitors were looking for protection against the storm in nearby cafes and restaurants. Gastronoma Dubravka Dragobratovic reported on a large crowd that fled into her restaurant.

The fire brigade was also in use to remove fallen trees and fallen branches. Shortly after 9 p.m., the lightning struck loudly and audibly into the highest church tower in the world, which caused the tower lighting to be at short notice. Münsterbauerin Heidi Vormann partly confirmed massive damage, especially in the electrical system. The systems of the cathedral, such as the visitor turn, the light art in the cathedral tower, as well as the house ventilation and a computer in the Münsterbauhütte, were automatically shut down for safety reasons.

damage to the Ulmer Münster

Although visible damage failed to fail to do the Ulm Münster, the technical systems suffered significant impairments due to lightning. According to Vormann, the external lightning protection worked properly. After the lightning strike, large magnetic fields formed, which meant that several technical systems were not operational at short notice. The scope of the damage is currently being examined and a specialist will check whether the lightning protection itself has been damaged; A drone may be used for this.

The importance of lightning protection systems is still being examined in research. According to a study, over 200 lightning accidents have been reported in Western Europe in the past ten years, which resulted in 81 fatalities and almost 970 injuries. Meteorologists advise you to stop events early to seek in good time. The German Weather Service uses a color scale for thunderstorm warnings, whereby many warnings are often only issued at the lowest level (yellow), which is not taken seriously again and again.

The lightning strike in Ulm reminds you how important it is to be aware of the dangers of thunderstorms. Roteliness is often a factor in flash accidents, and many people underestimate the risk of flashing. It is advisable to behave like the US weather service: "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!" (If it thunders, go inside!).