Damaging winds, flooding target Central Europe this weekend
Severe thunderstorms are expected to sweep across parts of Europe for the start of the weekend.
A cold front will shift from the coastal regions of northern France to northwestern Germany to more inland locations, bringing with it the threat for thunderstorms.
"Thunderstorms will start to show on the weather radar around the middle of the day on Saturday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys.
Areas from far northeastern France through Luxembourg as well as much of Belgium and the Netherlands will be the first to receive storms. However, thunderstorms will continue to move eastward and impact parts of northern and central Germany by the afternoon or evening.
Cities that could experience the severe thunderstorms include Brussels and Charleroi, Belgium; Amsterdam and Eindhoven, Netherlands; and Frankfurt, Cologne, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg and Berlin in Germany.
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"The most widespread impacts will be heavy downpours that can lead to reduced visibility and flash flooding, as well as damaging wind gusts," Roys added.
Low-lying and poor drainage areas will be the most susceptible to experiencing flash flooding.
Wind gusts could reach an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 105 km/h (65 mph), causing toppling trees and sporadic power outages.
Additionally, some thunderstorms could contain hail and, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning is likely.
All of these impacts could force those with outdoor plans to turn to indoor alternatives, especially through the afternoon and evening hours. Anyone outside should be vigilant in keeping track of the weather and, should they hear thunder, take shelter indoors.
The strength of these thunderstorms is expected to diminish in the late-evening hours, leaving just a few lingering showers and thunderstorms overnight Saturday.
By dawn on Sunday, most of these locations will be dry, with the exception of far-eastern and southern Germany.
The air mass moving in behind the wet weather will bring a slight drop in temperatures and dew points, making for a more comfortable end to the weekend.
This comfort is not likely to last long, with the possibility of a heat wave across much of Europe looming for many next week.
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