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WEATHER

Austria army rescues snowbound German students

Austrian troops airlifted a group of German students stranded at a snowbound ski resort on Friday, as emergency services scrambled to clear record snowfall across large parts of the country.

Austria army rescues snowbound German students
Emergency workers clear heavy snowfall on Friday. Photo: DPA
The army said it used two helicopters to transport the group of 66 pupils and teachers from the central ski station of Kasberg in Gruenau. It had been cut off for days due to the heavy snowfall covering much of the west and centre of the country.
 
The group, from Dortmund in western Germany, arrived there last Saturday, but the station was forced to shut a few days ago due to the risk of avalanches, falling trees and power blackouts.
 
Austria has been hit by record snowfall for more than a week. Many roads have been impassable because of a lack of the road salt needed to grit them.
 
A break in the weather enabled soldiers, firefighters, other public employees and volunteers to clear some of the snow on Friday, but more is expected at the weekend.
 
Some 500 soldiers have been drafted in to clear roads and roofs in the most heavily affected areas, and a further 1,000 soldiers are on standby, the government said.
 
Much of the country is on its highest avalanche alert level, with seven skiers and snowshoe hikers having died since Saturday and two hikers missing. Most of the victims perished in avalanches but emergency services say two of them died when falling into deep snowdrifts and suffocating.
 
 
The women's World Cup downhill and Super G championships, scheduled to be held in St Anton this weekend, have also been called off.
 
Another resort, Loser, in the central region of Styria, was totally submerged in five metres of snow. 
 
The bad weather has also affected the south of Germany, where the army has also been called in to help. 
 
A number of motorists were trapped in their cars overnight on the A8 motorway to the south-east of Munich and 90 flights were grounded at Munich airport on Friday.
 
A nine-year-old boy was killed on Thursday by a tree that collapsed under the weight of the snow. 

WEATHER

Summer to arrive early in Germany with scorching temperatures of up to 30C

A wave of hot weather is set to hit Germany this weekend with summery highs of up to 30C - and the heat-wave could last a number of weeks.

Summer to arrive early in Germany with scorching temperatures of up to 30C

As open-air pools and cinemas start to open their doors in the coming weeks, Germany is set for a sizzling spell where temperatures soar into the high 20s and even hit 30C. 

After a relatively mild week, a sudden heat wave is due to arrive on Saturday as the mercury hits at least 25C in most regions. All over Europe, a warm mass of air is set to push through from the south and replace the cooler spring breeze, with temperatures shooting up faster in the east than in the west. 

“With temperatures of at least 25C, summer will truly begin on Sunday,” said Focus.de meteorologist Jan Schenk. The shock of hot weather will enter suddenly, he added, with the season changing almost overnight. 

In the northern parts of Germany, temperatures are even set to climb as high as 30C on Monday and Tuesday, making it the ideal time to head to a beer garden or lake for the first time this year.

In the south, meanwhile, it’s likely to remain more overcast – but with at least 25C temperatures in most regions, it’s still ideal weather to be out and about.

But those who don’t have time for a swim or a barbecue this weekend shouldn’t worry about missing out on the fun: according to meteorologists, this hot spell could last well into June.

READ ALSO: Seven signs that spring has arrived in Germany

This week, however, temperatures are likely to remain fairly cool at around 15C, though the icy spells could be behind us for now. Even in the night, the mercury is unlikely to drop below 10C. 

Nevertheless, the perfectly clear blue skies are a little way off yet. The string of hot and clear days is likely to be punctuated by heavy rain showers and thunderstorms, particularly in the western and southern regions of Germany.

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