Overview
- A marked cold front pushed from the west into Germany on Wednesday night and Thursday, driving daytime highs down from the mid‑20s to roughly 12–20°C and bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms.
- The Deutscher Wetterdienst issued yellow and orange warnings for heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong gusts that name specific counties and list duration alerts for prolonged rain in parts of Bavaria.
- Forecasters expect the snowline to fall into the high Alps with measurable new snow above roughly 1,500 metres and locally near 1,000 metres, producing fresh snow at summits and higher ski areas.
- Local totals of 30–50 litres per square metre are possible in Alpine staulagen and 10–40 l/m² in parts of NRW, but very dry soils mean much rain will be absorbed and major river relief will be limited in the short term.
- Models show the cold, wet phase is likely brief and a building high‑pressure system could bring milder, sunnier 'golden October' conditions from around Sunday, though timing and strength remain uncertain.