Europe News
German summer storms leave two dead, many injured
Jul 4, 2009, 7:52 GMT
Stuttgart, Germany - Heavy storms raging across Germany on Friday night killed two people and left dozens injured.
Hot, humid summer weather caused storms, hail and torrential rain showers across the southwest of the country.
A woman was fatally hit by lightning and a fireman was also struck as he was pumping water from a flooded cellar, both near the city of Stuttgart.
Dusseldorf airport was temporarily closed on the busiest day of the year, when local schools closed for the summer.
Road travel was interrupted as tunnels flooded and mudslides covered streets. Numerous road accidents were reported during the downpours. Trains and regional commuter services were also interrupted.
In Stuttgart, the factory of luxury carmaker Porsche was flooded and suffered power cuts. The cost of the damage is not yet known. A spokesman said the company aimed to resume work by Monday.
Up to 100 litres of rain per square metre pelted the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Bavaria.
The German meteorological office has predicted more heavy rain, hail and storms for Saturday.
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