Germany hit by severe thunderstorms, hail and flooding on July 14

A powerful storm system swept across Germany on 14 July 2026, bringing intense thunderstorms, heavy rain and unusually large hail. In northern states such as Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, Schleswig‑Holstein and Hamburg, hailstones the size of tennis balls shattered car windows, dented vehicle bodies and damaged roofs. Hundreds of fire‑brigade calls were logged – more than 600 deployments in Lower Saxony alone – and emergency services reported damage costs in the millions of euros.

The storm also caused widespread flooding. Streets in the Flotwedel municipality (Westmecklenburg) and in towns like Bröckel and Klein Eicklingen were inundated, with water entering basements and even rising to knee‑high levels. Fire crews used submersible pumps and agricultural tractors to divert water into drainage channels. In the city of Wittenburg, a factory’s production area was briefly submerged under water up to hip height.

The German Weather Service (DWD) issued official warnings for severe weather across the affected regions, noting wind gusts up to 110 km/h, hail, and rainfall rates exceeding 30 litres per square metre per hour. Temperatures remained high, with highs of 27‑35 °C in parts of Bavaria and Baden‑Württemberg, further increasing the heat‑stress risk.

Overall, the event triggered dozens of emergency responses, disrupted transport (including regional rail delays), and left many residents dealing with property damage and water‑logged basements.