Tornadoes hit German city leaving 40 people injured, at least 1 dead

Paderborn city officials said that the battle tornado blew off roofs, knocked down trees and sent debris flying for miles.

Meteorologists have warned that heavy rain and hail is scheduled to take place in western and central Germany, with storm generate gusts of up to 130 km/h (81 mph). Storms on May 19 disrupted traffic, uprooted trees on rails and roads, and flooded hundreds of basements in western Germany.

Two trucks overturned by a storm in Paderborn, Germany. (Photo: AP)

Paderborn police said 43 people were injured in the storm that made landfall in the city. Meanwhile, 30 people are being treated in hospital and 10 of them are seriously injured, one woman in a life-threatening condition.

Local authorities urged people to stay in their homes so as not to hinder rescue efforts or endanger themselves.

Severe storm damage was also reported in the nearby town of Lippstadt. A church bell tower in the town has collapsed. More than 100 people were temporarily trapped in a local outdoor swimming pool after falling trees blocked the exit, the German news agency DPA reported.

The tree fell in the storm. (Photo: DPA)

The regional fire department said all existing rescue forces were being deployed to the area.

According to Bavarian state officials, 14 people were injured on May 20 when the wooden hut they were sheltering from collapsed during a storm in Lake Brombach, south of the city of Nuremberg. Among the injured were several children and a 37-year-old woman who was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Roofs were damaged after a tornado hit the German town of Lippstadt. (Photo: DPA)

Two French nationals were killed after their motorized paraglider was gusted by strong winds shortly after taking off on May 19 from an airport in Ballenstedt, 175 kilometers (109 miles) west of Berlin. Nam, plunged into the field from a height of about 40 m. Saxony-Anhalt state police said the two men, both 59 years old, were asked to land because of the forecast of a sudden change in weather.

Schools in the west of the city of Cologne had to close before noon on May 20 to give students time to get home safely before the storm made landfall.

Further south of the Ahrweiler district, all schools were closed. More than 130 people were killed in the area in the summer of 2021 after being affected by a flash flood in July.