Summer Storms wreak havoc on Germany and Switzerland; details inside

On Monday night, heavy rain, large hailstones, and gale-force winds pounded regions of sourn Germany and Switzerland, triggering severe flooding and ripping a portion of an opera house's roof off, said reports. According to police and rail operator Deutsche Bahn, several ro tunnels were flooded, and rail services were entirely suspended in and around Stuttgart, Germany.

Rivers of water gushed down streets, and car windscreens were cracked by large hailstones, said reports. Hundreds of calls to emergency services were reported across sourn states of Rheinland-Palatinate and Ben-Wuerttemberg due to flooded cellars, fallen trees, landslides, and stuck vehicles.

Heavy summer storms in Europe

A strong gust of wind tore off part of roof of Stuttgart Opera at 8:30 p.m., while around 250 people remained inside after a music recital. According to managing director Oliver Hendriks, a significant portion of copper planking landed in opera house gardens. Reportedly, one was hurt, but dam caused by thousands of litres of rainfall entering property was still being assessed, he said. 

Summer storm in Germany

Swiss news ncy recorded large hailstones up to seven cm diameter near ttwill, in Swiss canton of Lucerne. police and fire departments in canton of Fribourg were called 300 times, including to rescue a class of 16 children and two ults who were stuck in blizzard. Six youngsters and one ult were mitted to hospital. As per reports, at least five individuals were hurt in German-speaking cantons, including a bicycle that was hit in he by hailstones.

Reportedly, several dozen centimetres of hail fell in sourn Vosges area of France on Tuesday, prompting use of sw shovels and swploughs in an unseasonably warm climate.   Meteo France wear service has issued a storm warning for whole country's rast.  In Germany, b wear was expected to last throughout Tuesday evening, with forecasts predicting more thunderstorms and heavy rain in country's rth and east, said reports.

Picture Credit: AP