Schwerin/Rostock/Neubrandenburg (dpa/mv) – Despite the clear ice warning of the German Weather Service (DWD), the consequences in the northeast were limited on Monday. According to the police, 13 accidents related to icy roads have occurred in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. “Apart from a cyclist who suffered minor injuries in a fall in Wöbbelin, the cases only involved property damage,” said the responsible police inspector. The suspicion of a more serious injury to the driver after a traffic accident has not been confirmed, a spokesman for the Ludwigslust authorities said.
Overall, the slippery weather was more evident in the western part of the country than in the eastern part, where rain started falling in the afternoon. The police headquarters in Rostock, which is responsible for the western part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, has recorded 25 ice-related traffic accidents. It was mostly left with sheet metal damage. In accidents in the areas of Rostock, Brüel and Groß Laasch, four vehicle occupants were slightly injured. According to a spokesman for the Neubrandenburg police headquarters, no major slippery incidents have been reported in its area of responsibility as of the evening.
Some public facilities such as the animal park in Güstrow, the zoos in Schwerin and Rostock and several Christmas markets had closed their doors as a precaution. In schools, the Ministry of Education had eased compulsory schooling: “If tutors don’t send students to school for this reason, absence from lessons cannot be considered unjustified,” we read. Adult students could make their own decisions.
The weather service had warned of the storm “Franziska” for all of northern Germany: “The alarm bells are ringing for the meteorologists, because then the rain falls on frozen ground and it is about smoothness and frost,” explained the meteorologist Karsten Zucca. It was especially slippery on the side streets and sidewalks, where, unlike the main roads, road salt had only rarely been applied in the previous days.
There was a partial all-clear on Monday afternoon: “In the course of the afternoon in the western part of the country, in the evening also in Western Pomerania, there was a beginning of mitigation and the danger of black ice gradually decreased,” he said the DWD website. On Tuesday night, however, there may still be local ice in Western Pomerania.
The shipping company Hiddensee has announced that the ports of Neuendorf and Kloster cannot be docked for the moment due to the current weather conditions. The motor ferry “Vitte” will operate again according to the timetable between Schaprode and Vitte.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:221219-99-958833/4
