Essen (dpa / lnw) - The German Weather Service (DWD) warns of severe thunderstorms and storms in North Rhine-Westphalia for the evening and Thursday night. In heavy rain, between 25 and 70 liters of precipitation per square meter could fall locally within a short time, the DWD in Essen announced. Smaller hailstones and gusts of wind are also possible. According to the DWD forecast, local thunderstorms are possible in the north of the country until Thursday morning. The situation across the country is expected to calm down in the afternoon.