Overview
- The Deutscher Wetterdienst has issued region‑specific warnings for strong to severe thunderstorms, including highest‑level alerts in parts of Baden‑Württemberg and Bavaria.
- Meteorologists say the main danger is intense, localized rainfall — typically 30–50 liters per square meter in a short period and in places up to about 80 l/m² — which can cause flooded basements, small‑stream flooding and landslides.
- Emergency services reported heavy, localized impacts on Wednesday, with hundreds of deployments in Franken (165 in Bamberg district), widespread flooded underpasses and temporary rail disruption around Aschaffenburg after lightning hit signalling equipment.
- DWD tornado specialists judge the overall tornado risk as low but warn isolated tornadoes cannot be fully excluded; hail and damaging gusts of up to about 80 km/h are also possible.
- Medium‑range forecasts diverge: the NOAA/CFS model shows a very dry July that would deepen soil and water stresses, while ECMWF and other runs suggest a quick return to high heat in the second week of July, so officials urge continued situational readiness.