German city deploys snowploughs after hail storm
by AFP Staff Writers
Frankfurt, Germany (AFP) Aug 5, 2023

A Germany city had to deploy snowploughs at the height of northern hemisphere summer after a violent storm dumped huge quantities of hail in the streets.

Authorities in Reutlingen, southwest Germany, said a "localised storm with hail and heavy rain" swept over the city centre on Friday afternoon.

Images showed the streets blanketed in white -- city officials said the hail was 30 centimetres (12 inches) thick in places -- and snowploughs were clearing them.

Drainage systems were also blocked by the storm, causing water to pour into underground garages and basements, officials said in a statement.

The Echaz river, which runs through Reutlingen, rose 1.5 metres (five feet) in five minutes and briefly burst its banks but there was no major damage.

About 250 firefighters took part in clean-up operations across the city, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

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