08/01/2026August 1, 2026Storms leave 1 dead in Saxony, cause disruption in Hamburg
A man has been killed by a falling tree near the Felsenbühne theater, seen here in 2022Image: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance
A severe storm has hit the Saxon Switzerland region in the eastern state of Saxony, with a 28-year-old man killed by a falling tree, police said on Friday.
A number of other people were also injured, some seriously, amid the bad weather, they said.
The fatality occurred near the Felsenbühne open-air theater in the town of Rathen on Friday evening.
A performance of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” at the theater, one of the largest open-air theaters in Saxony, was cancelled.
Parts of the Saxon Switzerland national park was closed to visitors on Saturday, with authorities saying there was still a risk from falling trees.
Germany’s national meteorological service, the DWD, had issued warnings about severe thunderstorms for large parts of Saxony, saying there could be possible lightning strikes, falling trees and flying debris.
Meanwhile, a severe storm also swept the northern port city of Hamburg on Friday evening, with the fire brigade responding to almost 100 call-outs.
Most were water-related incidents.
No injuries were reported amid the storm, which was reported to have particularly affected the southern and northern outskirts of the city.