Warning of freezing rain in Berlin: black ice could paralyze traffic
On Monday it will be really slippery in Berlin. Buses and trains could therefore fail. Motorists should be very careful.
imago/Werner Schulze
Dangerous freezing rain threatens in Berlin and Brandenburg on Monday morning. The German Weather Service (DWD) gave one on Sunday Advance notice of severe weather out. It is initially valid from Monday at 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There was already an official storm warning of black ice for south-western Brandenburg on Sunday evening.
The DWD expects problems in road and rail traffic because of the black ice. Occasionally branches of trees could break off (ice breakage) or damage to the infrastructure such as power poles or lines could occur, it said. There is also an official warning of frost.
Freezing rain expected in Berlin on Monday afternoon
In the morning the freezing rain will first come up between Prignitz, Havelland and Fläming. During the day it spreads eastward. The treacherous rain is expected to reach the Berlin area around noon, followed by the Oder and Neisse in the early afternoon. In the course of the day, however, the DWD expects the danger of black ice to decrease again.
Deutsche Bahn is calling on travelers to check their travel connections before departure. Black ice and freezing rain could lead to restrictions, Deutsche Bahn announced on Twitter. The traffic information center and the Potsdam police called on road users to be particularly careful.
Of the @DWD_presse counts with #Black ice and #Ice rain in the coming night hours and in the morning.
This can also lead to restrictions in #rail traffic to lead.
Please check your / Please check your travel connections before departure.
If something happens: https://t.co/0Df1AEN08J
— Deutsche Bahn traffic reports (@DB_Info) December 18, 2022
Chances of a white Christmas not particularly great
The ground is frozen to a depth of about 20 centimeters due to the frost of the past few days, as a DWD meteorologist said. December has so far been colder than the long-term average.
The new week then brings a change in the weather: it becomes milder. The DWD assumes a warming of 5 to 8 degrees on Tuesday. On the other days of the week, temperatures are expected to be between 5 and 10 degrees during the day. The chances of a white Christmas at the weekend are therefore not particularly great. According to the current weather models, it will remain rather uncomfortable with rain.
Fire brigade warns against entering the ice surfaces on Berlin waters
The permafrost of the past few days has frozen many bodies of water in Berlin and Brandenburg and lured people onto the ice at the weekend. So far there have been no accidents in the capital due to burglaries in ice surfaces, said a fire department spokesman on Sunday afternoon. However, you should not enter waters that are not officially approved for this. “Please do not enter frozen rivers under any circumstances,” said the spokesman. A fall can be life-threatening there if you are pulled under the ice surface.