Heavy rain and hail hit Europe causing chaos and flooding in Germany, France, Poland and the Netherlands.
In Germany, flooding occurred in the Sulzbach area of Kirn on Sunday afternoon due to heavy rain. A few minutes later a stream formed, carrying the cars several meters away.
Masses of water washed away several cars. During the flood, many basements were also overcrowded. According to firefighters, in some cases the water even reached the first floor.
There was heavy rain and hail in Walbeck, causing the town to turn white. And not only that: a river suddenly appeared in the middle of the village. In just 30 minutes, 17 liters of rain fell.
In France, on Monday, May 20, in the late afternoon, the city of Dijon and a large part of the Côte d'Or department became the scene of heavy hail, which caused numerous floods on the streets of the Burgundian city.
The episode did not result in injuries, but required numerous interventions by firefighters. According to local media, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., SDIS 21 received 147 calls over 42 field trips. In addition, some businesses in Dijon experienced minor material damage.
In the Netherlands, heavy rain fell in Buitenpost late Monday afternoon. Therefore, the first floor of the boarding facility had to be evacuated. In some places there was a layer of water from 25 to 30 centimeters. In some places, there was so much hail that it penetrated into buildings.
In Poland, Gniezno was flooded after heavy rain and hail.
Gniezno has not seen anything like this since the memorable storm that hit the city in August 2017. After more than an hour of rain and hail, there was severe flooding and destruction.
In one hour, about 80 mm of rain fell over Gniezno - a monthly norm that no sewer can absorb.
Firefighters from Gniezno have so far received more than 250 reports in connection with the storm that hit the city on Monday - they mainly concern flooded basements and apartments, as well as torn off roofs and people trapped in submerged vehicles. A severe storm warning is in effect throughout the region.
