Weather warning in Germany after Europe powerful storms kill12

Powerful storms have battered areas of central and southern Europe, killing at least 12 people including 3 children. The deaths, most from falling trees, were reported in Italy and Austria, and on the French island of Corsica. Heavy rain and winds wrecked campsites on the island, while in Venice, Italy, masonry was blown off the Bell tower of St Mark's Basilica.Tuscan regional leader Eugenio Giani posted a video of a ferris wheel spinning out of control in high winds at Piombino.

A #Piombino durante il passaggio del violento fronte temporalesco. Allerta gialla estesa fino a domani! pic.twitter.com/sVn9OeOfpM

— Eugenio Giani (@EugenioGiani) August 18, 2022

In Corsica, winds gusting up to 224 km per hour uprooted trees and damaged mobile homes. Authorities there said a 13-year-old girl was killed by a falling tree on a campsite. A 46-year-old man died in a similar incident and a woman in her 70s was killed when her car was hit by the detached roof of a beach hut. Two other people, a fisherman, 62, and a female kayaker, 60, died out at sea. The storms follow weeks of heatwave and drought across much of the continent. Extreme storms have become more frequent recently because of climate change.Witnesses to the storms said they had been completely unexpected and no warning was given.

Meanwhile, the German Weather Service (DWD) on Friday warned of heavy rainfall in the south into Saturday. According to the DWD, as much as 140 liters of water per square meter (5.5 inches) could fall over a 48-hour period, and that could cause flooding.The Bavarian Red Cross raised the alarm level for its air rescue teams, putting helicopter crews on heightened alert.