Lake Constance region hit by exceptionally severe thunderstorms

The German Weather Service (DWD) has described a severe thunderstorm that struck the Lake Constance region on Friday as exceptionally intense. The storm was characterized by remarkable wind gusts and heavy hail.

In Switzerland, a station in Schaffhausen recorded wind speeds of up to 143 kilometers per hour, equivalent to hurricane-force level 12. Another station in Steckborn measured winds of approximately 130 kilometers per hour. On the German side, high wind speeds were also documented, including 114 km/h in Friedrichshafen and 112 km/h in Weilheim im Südschwarzwald.

The storm front was accompanied by large hail, with stones reaching up to five centimeters in diameter. The weather system, consisting of multiple reinforcing thunderstorm cells, moved eastward toward the Iller region, with Lindau recording winds of about 105 km/h. While the storm weakened as it moved east, significant hail was reported south of Reutlingen.