Three tornadoes confirmed after severe storms leave at least two dead in Germany

The latest confirmation concerned Höhr-Grenzhausen in Rhineland-Palatinate, where a tornado moved through the town at around 19:20 LT (17:20 UTC) on August 19. A weather station in the Grenzau district recorded gusts of 115 km/h (71 mph), although stronger winds were believed to have occurred away from the station.

Numerous roofs were removed, and several buildings sustained major structural damage in Höhr-Grenzhausen. The gable walls of two buildings collapsed, while falling facade sections, airborne debris and uprooted trees damaged other properties.

The tornado’s intensity remained under investigation on August 22. No injuries were reported within Höhr-Grenzhausen, although a firefighter was hospitalized after receiving an electric shock during the wider Westerwaldkreis response.

Approximately 550 emergency personnel handled around 160 reported incidents across Westerwaldkreis. The hardest-hit areas included Höhr-Grenzhausen, Montabaur, Ransbach-Baumbach, Wallmerod and Wirges.

All approximately 250 affected transformer substations had returned to service by August 21, restoring the medium-voltage network. Around 100 lower-voltage faults remained, however, leaving 14 municipalities at least partially without electricity.

The remaining failures involved damaged building connections, roof-mounted electrical equipment and entire streets in some locations. Repairs were scheduled to continue through the weekend, and the network operator said service restoration at some severely damaged properties could take several more days.

In Brandenburg, the Fürstenwalde/Spree tornado crossed the city at approximately 17:15 LT (15:15 UTC) on August 19. Three people sustained minor injuries: two when a falling tree struck a moving vehicle and one from broken glass inside a residence.

The tornado removed the roof from a daycare center, damaged vehicles and houses, and uprooted numerous trees. Buildings around Paul-Frost-Ring were particularly affected, and roof debris was reported as far as 600 m (1 970 feet) from its source.

An initial assessment supported at least IF1 intensity on the International Fujita Scale, corresponding to winds around 150 km/h (93 mph). The classification had not been finalized by August 22.

A second tornado crossed the greater Wetzlar area in Hesse. Approximately 60 houses were damaged in the Münchholzhausen district, with impacts ranging from missing roof tiles to complete roof removal. Some roof sections were carried as far as 100 m (330 feet).

Approximately 12 additional houses were damaged in Solms, including two that remained uninhabitable. Temporary accommodation was arranged for two families, while the preliminary damage estimate was in the upper six-figure euro range. No injuries were reported in Wetzlar or Solms.

The intensity of the Wetzlar-area tornado also remained under analysis.

One fatal incident occurred in Waldorf, Rhineland-Palatinate, after two women sought shelter beneath a covered seating structure during the storm. An uprooted tree fell onto the structure, killing a 58-year-old woman and seriously injuring her 47-year-old companion.

A second storm-related death occurred in Georgenthal, Thuringia, on the morning of August 20. A 40-year-old father was struck by falling tree material while taking his child to kindergarten. The child was not injured.

Separate regional reports support a minimum of 12 injured during the broader severe-weather episode. The total includes the surviving woman in Waldorf, three people in Fürstenwalde, four people injured in a weather-related crash on the A485, three occupants of a vehicle struck by a tree in Steinbach-Hallenberg and the firefighter injured in Westerwaldkreis. No national authority had issued a consolidated injury total by August 22.

Approximately 3 700 customers lost power in Thuringia, where 23 weather-related grid failures were recorded. Falling trees and destructive winds damaged medium-voltage lines and brought down several utility poles measuring up to 13 m (43 feet) tall.

Around Ohrdruf, approximately 385 responders handled 82 incidents after trees, roofs, roads and public buildings were damaged. The mayor estimated losses in the millions of euros and said some clearance work could take several weeks.

A suspected tornado near Arnstadt and Ichtershausen in Thuringia remained unconfirmed. The storm removed approximately 800 m² (8 600 square feet) of roofing from a wastewater facility, but available evidence had not established whether the damage resulted from a tornado or a downburst.

Heavy rain also flooded roads, underpasses, basements and buildings in Weimar. Water reached approximately 50 cm (20 inches) in some underpasses, while mud and debris were washed from agricultural land into the Süßenborn district.

In Laubach, Hesse, a falling tree damaged a residential liquefied-gas tank. A 200 m (660 foot) area was evacuated while emergency personnel controlled the leak.

Approximately 3 500 people were moved from the outdoor section of a festival in Kronach, Bavaria, as the storms approached. Visitors were allowed to remain inside the festival halls, and no injuries were reported.

Two waterspouts were observed over the North Sea near Norderney on the morning of August 19. No associated coastal damage or injuries were reported.

References:

¹ Storm damages approximately 60 houses in Münchholzhausen – Wetzlar Fire Department – August 20, 2026

² Severe weather in the Koblenz Police Headquarters area – Koblenz Police Headquarters – August 20, 2026

³ Tree falls on moving vehicle in Steinbach-Hallenberg – Thuringia Police – August 20, 2026

⁴ Severe weather in Thuringia: Father of family killed, tornado in Ilm district – MDR Thüringen — August 21, 2026