Autumn storm in the north: Over 100 fire brigade operations and storm damage

Autumn storm in the north: Over 100 fire brigade operations and storm damage

It is September 16, 2025 and a powerful autumn storm has the northern federal states firmly in its grip. The first autumn storm of the season is causing a lot of work by the fire brigades, who have already recorded over 100 missions. The regions of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein were particularly affected, where some trees were uprooted and construction site signs were blown around, but fortunately there was no major damage. So reported Sat.1 Regional of loose facade parts on a high-rise building in the Barmbek-Süd district, which made the deployment of height rescuers necessary.

The situation is also tense in North Frisia: Here, two trees fell onto the road, which hindered traffic. A total of 18 missions have been recorded in the Herzogtum Lauenburg, Ostholstein and Stormarn districts since Monday afternoon - mostly due to fallen trees. While there were three missions each in Lübeck, Timmendorfer Strand and Ratzeburg, the weather-related missions in Dithmarschen, Segeberg, Steinburg and Pinneberg totaled a whopping 55. The railway didn't escape unscathed either; the route to and from Westerland on Sylt was closed for about an hour because a tree was blocking the tracks.

Weather conditions and warnings

Like the weather office German Weather Service reports that a storm is moving from the Oslofjord across southern Sweden to Germany. The stormy westerly wind not only brings gusts of up to 100 km/h on the Baltic Sea coast, but also heavy rain. Rainfall of between 25 to 50 liters per square meter was predicted in several parts of Schleswig-Holstein, including Dithmarschen to Ostholstein.

Even though the warnings for thunderstorms increase in intensity in the afternoon, the stormy conditions subside again in the evening. However, residents should remain vigilant, especially near the coast, as severe squalls are expected again. On Wednesday there will be an estimate of 55 to 70 km/h in coastal areas, which will continue to provide significant wind gusts.

Current operations and impacts

The fire department's operations are not limited to direct storm damage. There was also a catastrophic failure when the catamaran “Halunder Jet” will not be in use until Wednesday. The same applies to the car ferries between Römö and Sylt, which have changed departure times. The water levels have also risen for residents on the North Sea; the water level in Hamburg is currently around 1.25 meters above normal high water.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the meteorological start of autumn on September 1st is not unusual for such weather conditions. The signs of the storm were already visible and while the storm is now starting to lose strength, the northern area remains on guard. The next updates will be from the Severe Weather Center provided and provide information about upcoming storms.