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Berlin Districts and Goch Close Sports Halls Over Heavy Snow Load Risks

Authorities will reopen only after engineers certify roofs safe under expected slush loads.

Overview

  • In Goch, seven school and municipal sports halls were shut with immediate effect as a structural engineer assesses flat-roof load capacity.
  • Neukölln has suspended all district sport halls for club use on Friday and imposed a preventive closure of all 80 halls through Sunday, with a crisis team set to review reopenings on Monday.
  • Other Berlin districts announced targeted closures, including senior centers in Spandau, Reinickendorf, and Pankow, as well as sports fields in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and the Horst-Dohm ice rink on Friday.
  • Berlin has suspended compulsory school attendance for Friday while hall inspections continue, with possible short-notice closures affecting access during the day.
  • Officials cite roughly 20 centimeters of snow on flat roofs and warn that thaw and wind-driven drifts can quickly increase weight and create unpredictable stress, prompting blanket precautions in some areas.