Erfurt (dpa/th) - Thunderstorms that swept across Thuringia on Saturday night brought heavy rain, especially in the north of the Free State. According to the German Weather Service, 21.5 liters of rain per square meter fell in Ellrich (Nordhausen district), and 21.1 liters in Leinefelde (Eichsfeldkreis). Further south and east, it stayed dry, a spokesman said. The western part of the Thuringian Forest received small amounts of rain of between one and three liters per square meter, while the eastern part and areas east of the Saale remained dry.
The DWD had issued weather warnings early on Saturday morning due to expected thunderstorms. Damage or fires caused by lightning strikes were not initially known, as the state operations center said.
The rain has significantly reduced the risk of forest fires in Thuringia for the time being. According to the state forest institute, only warning level one for a very low risk of forest fires applied in the northern and western regions on Saturday. In east and south-east Thuringia there was little or medium danger. In the past few days, smaller field, meadow and forest fires had kept the fire brigades on their toes.
