Cyclone Joachim

The hurricane Joachim was a very strong winter storm. From 15 to 16 December 2011, he took over parts of central Europe away; while he reached mainly through France, Switzerland and Southern Germany wind speeds in hurricane strength.

Meteorological demolition

Already on December 8 calculated the GFS model of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for December 16 a very strong cyclones in the area of the English Channel. For the week, waving a meteorological models more and more on these calculations. On December 14, the projected area of ​​low pressure from the Shapiro - Keyser - type, which was promoted under the influence of the jet stream not only rapidly eastward across the northern Atlantic Ocean, but thereby also increasing rapidly intensified developed off Newfoundland. From 14 to 15 December, the central surface pressure of the system fell by more than 20 hPa

The air pressure dropped rapidly and the means winds intensified.

On the night of 15th to 16th December, the storm over France and Switzerland drew away and reached southern Germany. The core of the hurricane crossed by 3 clock CET (2 clock UTC), the French capital Paris and then embarked on a path that led past away and north Berlin via Dusseldorf, Hanover. The strongest wind was however further south, so that the highest warning level for Baden -Württemberg and Bavaria was declared; on the Zugspitze gusts up to 183 km / h were measured.

With the passage of the hurricane ended the relatively mild temperatures, which had determined the fall of 2011. " Joachim" led wet cold air to central Europe, thus partially into deep layers of snow fell.

Preparations

For 47 French départements of Brittany and Alsace storm warnings have been declared on the night of December 16.

The German train sat in Rhineland-Palatinate the movement of trains on the route Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern and the transport in the southern Palatinate for security reasons.

In parts of Lower Franconia and in the district of Darmstadt- Dieburg fell on 16 December, the teaching, and the students were sent home early. Several Christmas markets were also not open for safety reasons, such as in Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Germany, Friedrichshafen, Kempten, Chemnitz and Freiberg. In several ski lift has ceased operations.

Effects

High winds tore down cables and caused so common for power failure. Fallen trees obstructing the road and rail traffic.

France

Wind gusts in western France reached up to 140 km / h in Saint- Nazaire ( Loire -Atlantique département ) on the Chemoulin peninsula was a peak gusts of 152 km / h measured. The railway SNCF was disturbed in Brittany by the storm, in the Pays de la Loire, there was a complete failure. Falling trees and power lines blocked roads and railways. Off the coast of the peninsula of Quiberon, the cargo ship TK Bremen ran aground. The ship had northeast of Groix sought shelter from the storm and was stranded near the mouth of the Rivière d' Étel at Erdeven in the Morbihan department. From the ship ran out of oil, which resulted in a limited large oil slick. Near Volpajola kindled in Corsica foothills of the storm, a forest fire at which destroyed about 200 hectares of vegetation.

Of the power outages were affected in France about 400,000 households, of which around 100,000 in Brittany.

Switzerland

In the north-western Switzerland strong wind between Tavannes and Tramelan tipped to a train, which then derailed, causing the train driver and two passengers were slightly injured.

Germany

In addition to fallen trees also ensured heavy rain and resulting flooding problems on the roads. In the high altitudes of the highlands, the precipitate was mainly down as heavy snow. Some road sections of the highways 61 in Rhineland -Palatinate, 4 and 45 in North Rhine -Westphalia and Thuringia had 71 due to snow and ice are temporarily disabled. In exposed locations, there were snow drifts, so therefore had to be closed and 174 of the German -Czech border crossing Reitzenhain / Hora Svatého Šebestiána as part of the federal highway. Was also blocked the highway Dresden- Prague.

Austria

The Austrian territory reached the hurricane only on December 16. The effects usually related to tree breaks, as in Vorarlberg, Salzburg and Styria. This usually led to traffic delays as in the Tauern Railway or Triebener road and power outages. In the evening hours of December 16, he taught with peaks of 120 km / h also damage in Upper Austria.