Storm Joshua: Wind and storm surge keep northern Germany in suspense!

Storm Joshua: Wind and storm surge keep northern Germany in suspense!

On October 27, 2025, the storm “Joshua” will move away, but the wind will continue to be a constant companion in northern Germany. Last Saturday the storm left its mark, especially in Hamburg. That's what he reported NDR that the water spilled over the quay edges at the fish market and the water level there rose to 1.85 meters above mean high water. This exceeded the storm surge mark of 1.50 meters and meant that the fish auction hall was already under water on Friday evening.

Not only Hamburg suffered in the North Sea, other coastal regions were also affected. The flood reached storm surge heights on Sunday afternoon and a water level rise of up to 2.25 meters above the mean flood was expected in the entire Elbe area. To clarify the danger zone, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) pointed out that warnings about storm surges had been issued on the North Sea coast. These warnings also included the Weser area, where a rise of 1 to 1.5 meters was forecast.

Evacuations and damage

The situation was subsequently not without consequences. In Bad Zwischenahn in Lower Saxony in particular, a train was evacuated, while in Borkum a church roof was lifted by the storm. There was also heavy rainfall, which the German Weather Service reported. The areas in the Elbe to Cuxhaven area were particularly affected, where heavy showers and heavy rain fell.

Topics such as ferry cancellations to the North Sea islands due to adverse weather conditions were also popular. The ferry “Uthlande” remained in port on Föhr due to the storm surges. Cruise ships weren't safe either: the “AIDAperla” had to shorten its route and return to Hamburg a day earlier. The mayor of Hallig Hooge, Michael Klisch, described the weather situation as “nothing special”, as such rain and storm events regularly occur 3 to 5 times a year.

Weather forecasts and outlook

A look into the future shows that the weather will remain windy in the coming week, but with a decreasing trend. According to that daily news The first snow is even reported for the high altitudes of the Harz. Nevertheless, the situation regarding further storm surges is calming down; No further warnings are expected for the time being.

Warnings for storms and gusts of wind were in effect across the country until Sunday evening. Wind speeds of up to 120 km/h particularly affected the North Sea coast and the North Frisian Islands. Regional storm damage also occurred in other federal states, such as a fallen tree in Saarland, which fortunately did not cause any injuries.

Although unsettled weather is expected over the weekend, no major damage has been reported so far. And with a bit of luck, the situation will quickly ease. One can only hope that it is nothing more than a small change in the weather that we know how to survive.