Storm surge warning! Autumn storm Joshua brings extreme wind gusts to northern Germany

Storm surge warning! Autumn storm Joshua brings extreme wind gusts to northern Germany

The autumn storm “Joshua” is still blowing strong to stormy in northern Germany today. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the hurricane is gradually moving over Denmark, leaving behind a chaos of weather warnings that extends from Schleswig-Holstein to Hamburg. As wa.de reports, the storm field has the intensity that meteorologists had not expected and brings gusts of up to 90 km/h itself.

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has issued a storm surge warning for the North Sea coast and the Elbe region. A flood peak of up to 3.9 meters above sea level is expected at the St. Pauli gauge in Hamburg at around 7:04 p.m. The decisive factor for the alarming values ​​is the impending rainfall, which will cause the water level to continue to rise, while in the Weser area an increase of 1 to 1.5 meters can be expected, as ndr.de reports.

Weather warnings and traffic restrictions

The weather situation is tense. Showers and heavy rain are expected, especially in the Elbe area up to Cuxhaven. Many transport connections, especially water transport, have already been affected. The ferry service between Büsum and Helgoland as well as the Halunder Jet connection from Hamburg to Helgoland were discontinued. However, the ferry service between Föhr, Amrum and Dagebüll is partially back in operation, but with adjustments to the timetable. The BSH points this out and explains that storm surges in autumn are normal events, although climate change brings with it new challenges in coastal protection.

The ADAC strongly advises to avoid peak times on the roads, especially on the A7 and A1 motorways. The DWD's weather warnings not only include squalls, but also warn of possible power outages, broken branches and falling trees, which is caused by the unstable weather conditions and years of drought.

A look at the past and the future

The storm surge warning brings back memories of the serious events that hit the Baltic Sea coast in October 2023. At that time, there were hundreds of millions in damages when several dikes broke and numerous houses were flooded, as deutschlandfunk.de reported. Storm surges are a regular occurrence in Germany between October and April, and the DWD reports that Hamburg records an average of six such floods per season. Climate change is increasing the risk of storm surges, and there are many ways to protect yourself here - from building higher dikes to nature-based coastal protection measures.

So far, no major damage has been reported from today's events. Nevertheless, the authorities urge people to be particularly careful in vulnerable areas and to stay in the interior of the country. The situation shows once again how important it is to prepare for such weather events and take them seriously.