Lightning Strikes Injure Dozens at German Festivals

Germany experienced severe weather overnight as violent storms unleashed flash floods and lightning strikes, leading to numerous injuries. In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a river's water level dramatically rose from 27 centimeters to 1.96 meters in less than four hours, an event of once-in-50-year statistical probability. Despite flood warnings and emergency services being on standby, outdoor events were canceled as a precautionary measure.

In Baden-Württemberg, a nighttime lightning strike during a sports festival in Rastatt injured nine people, with six requiring hospitalization. The lightning struck a campsite where people had pitched tents for a handball festival. Another woman sustained minor injuries from a separate lightning strike on a sports field approximately 100 kilometers away.

Further north, near Flensburg, a festival in Viöl with about 5,000 attendees was temporarily evacuated overnight due to storm-related havoc. Thirteen people sustained minor injuries. The German Weather Service predicted further thunderstorms for Saturday, primarily in western and southern regions.