Hurricane Joshua hits Schleswig-Holstein: severe weather warnings apply!

Hurricane Joshua hits Schleswig-Holstein: severe weather warnings apply!

The depression “Joshua” is moving across northern Germany with a powerful storm, which is preparing people for a chaotic weather weekend. From the evening of October 23, 2025, the German Weather Service (DWD) expects increasing winds, especially in Schleswig-Holstein, where unpleasant hurricane gusts will characterize the weather situation.

According to initial reports, the northwest of Germany and Schleswig-Holstein are initially affected. The dangers are numerous: stormy gusts with speeds of up to 90 km/h are reported inland, while gusts of wind force 11 to 12 - i.e. up to 120 km/h - are expected on the North Sea coast. Meteorologist Sebastian Wache warns of an exceptionally strong storm that could even reach peak speeds of up to 130 km/h in exposed coastal areas. [shz.de].

Warnings and preparations

An official severe weather warning applies to the North Sea coast and the East Frisian and North Frisian islands. Strong winds, showers and thunderstorms are imminent. In the Cloppenburg district in Lower Saxony, a tree has already fallen on a house in Löningen, which shows how serious the situation is. In order to avoid further damage, the fire department decided to leave the tree lying there for the time being, which is not uncommon in such situations. ndr.de points out that from the second half of the night onwards, all of Lower Saxony is expected to be affected by the stormy conditions.

Although rail services are currently running as planned, we strongly advise that you only plan essential journeys. In Schleswig-Holstein, Nordbahn is already expecting delays and possible cancellations. The weather is expected to remain changeable and stormy until Sunday before calming down slightly.

Special precautions and restrictions

The storm surge warning is expected in Hamburg from Friday to Sunday, where water levels are forecast to be up to two meters above mean high water. Low water on the Baltic Sea due to strong winds pushing the water away is another phenomenon that worries coastal residents. Excursion ships from Büsum to Heligoland and the Halunder Jet from Hamburg to Helgoland are canceling their trips, which is severely restricting travel options.

The severe weather center has issued both advance warnings and acute warnings: yellow warnings indicate possible storms, while red and purple indicate particularly severe weather conditions. The detailed forecasts are now crucial for various industries, especially agriculture and forestry as well as event organizers. unwetterzentrale.de emphasizes that the forecasts are continuously updated by experienced meteorologists.

For the coming days, people in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Lower Saxony should be particularly careful and regularly inform themselves about the current weather situation. It remains to be seen to what extent the low “Joshua” will develop its power and what damage will actually be caused. Safety is now the top priority.