The devastation is enormous after several tornadoes struck in western Germany. At least one person has died and 43 have been injured, German media report.
Heavy storms with hurricane winds caused serious damage in parts of German North Rhine-Westphalia on Friday night. A total of three possible tornadoes were observed in Paderborn, Lippstadt and in Lütmarsen, a district in the town of Höxter, according to the German meteorological authority,
On Saturday morning, the extent of the damage is not clear, but according to German police, it is about “damage for millions”.
A major clean-up operation is now underway in the worst-hit city of Paderborn, where police are talking about “a road of destruction”. Among other things, entire windows have been torn out of shops, trees torn up by their roots and roof tiles blown down, reports Süddeutche Zeitung.
According to police, 43 people in the city have been injured, 10 of them seriously. A woman is also cared for for life-threatening injuries.
No injuries have yet been reported in Lippstadt. However, the material damage is enormous and many roofs are said to have been destroyed around the city.
A death has been reported from the small town of Wittgert, where a 38-year-old man is said to have received an electric shock when he went down into a flooded basement. The man is said to have fallen and hit his head and died on the spot from his injuries, according to the police.
Police in Lippstadt and Paderborn warn on Saturday of falling branches and roof tiles in certain districts and residents in the affected regions are urged to be careful and stay in their homes for safety reasons.