2 paragliders killed in Germany; more strong storms forecast

Police in Germany say two French nationals died after their motorized paraglider was caught by a strong gust of wind and crashed in a field

Germany Weather ((c) Andreas Rosar Fotoagentur-Stuttg)

Police in Germany say two French nationals died after their motorized paraglider was caught by a strong gust of wind and crashed in a field in the center of the country.

Authorities warned of strong storms across much of Germany, with tornadoes possible in some areas Friday.

The paragliders, a man and a woman, took off Thursday from an airfield in Ballenstedt, about 175 kilometers (109 miles) southwest of Berlin, authorities in Saxony-Anhalt state said. The pair, both 59, were urged to land due to a forecast for an abrupt change in the weather.

Shortly after the warning, “they appear to have been hit by a gust of wind that caused the paraglider to collapse, and the air vehicle crashed onto a field from a height of about 40 meters (131 feet),” police said.

Storms disrupted traffic, uprooted treets that toppled onto rail tracks and roads, and flooded hundreds of basements in western Germany on Thursday.

Meteorologists said heavy rainfall and hail were expected in parts of the country Friday, when storms could produce wind speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour (81mph).

Schools in the western city of Cologne closed before midday to give students time to make it home safely before the storms hit.

Further south in Ahrweiler county, all schools remained closed Friday. More than 130 people were killed in the region after it was hit by a flash flood in July 2021.