Severe thunderstorms bring potential disruption to Munich's city center control.
In a series of intense thunderstorms that hit Munich from Friday night to Saturday morning, the city and the surrounding region of Bavaria experienced a remarkable number of lightning strikes. According to the lightning warning service in Bavaria, managed by the company Blitzortung.org, over 9,000 strikes were recorded on the referenced Saturday alone.
The Austrian company Aldis, which took over the former Siemens lightning information service about two years ago, recorded 5,700 strikes in Bavaria throughout July, and an astonishing 4,400 strikes on Saturday alone in the region. The company's measuring stations record every lightning strike in Germany to the nearest 50 meters.
One of the most lightning-prone nights in recent memory, according to Wolfgang Schulz, head of Aldis, had serious consequences. The U-Bahn network's escalators in Munich did not work in the morning due to a lightning strike in the power supply, causing disruption for commuters. The escalators were operational again at 1.18 pm, but the MVG, the Munich Transport Company, was not available for inquiries all weekend.
The city of Munich was not the only area affected. A roof fire occurred in Unterhaching due to a lightning strike, and on the railway line to Mittenwald, a lightning strike at 7.47 am in a railway crossing near Kaltenbrunn caused major delays throughout the day.
Wolfgang Schulz suspects that the failure of the central control system in the U-Bahn network may have been caused by a susceptibility to lightning, rather than the strength of the strike. The strongest lightning strike occurred at 4.26 am in Gauting, with a strength of 100,000 amperes, according to an expert. Even a weaker lightning strike can cause massive damage at a specific point, as demonstrated by the roof fire in Unterhaching.
Munich's U-Bahn network has 772 escalators and 176 elevators, making the disruption caused by the lightning strike particularly significant. Clarity about the cause of the U-Bahn network's failure will only be available on Monday. In the meantime, the MVG has informed its customers that the elevators are working and to prioritize those who are dependent on the lift.
As the summer storm season continues, it is essential for residents and commuters to remain vigilant and prepared for potential lightning strikes and their associated risks.
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