Fatal storm hits Saxon Switzerland: one dead, national park closed as Germany battered by severe weather

A violent, locally concentrated thunderstorm cell struck the Saxon Switzerland region on Friday evening, 31 July 2026, killing one man and causing extensive damage that has forced the closure of the national park. The storm was part of a wider band of severe weather that affected large parts of Germany, from Hamburg to Bavaria.

Deadly impact at a tourist hotspot

The storm hit the popular resort town of Rathen, on the banks of the Elbe river near the famous Bastei rock formation. On an access path to the Felsenbühne, a natural open-air theatre, a tree fell and killed a 28-year-old man. Three other people were seriously injured, and ten more received outpatient medical care. Around 40 people were evacuated from the area. The open-air theatre had been due to stage the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" that evening, but the performance was cancelled.

It seems to have been a very locally contained and very strong storm cell.

The head of theatre operations, Johannes Gärtner, told the German Press Agency: "I have cancelled performances until Monday." The stage itself was also damaged by the storm, and an inspection of the extent is underway.

Widespread damage across Germany

The Saxon Switzerland incident was the most severe consequence of a night of storms. In Hamburg, the fire brigade responded to 85 water-related incidents between 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., primarily flooded basements and underpasses, with a further 12 callouts for objects threatening to fall. No one was injured. A fire brigade spokesman described calls coming in "almost by the minute," but said the workload was manageable.

In Stuttgart, a severe thunderstorm with gale-force winds struck around 8:20 p.m., toppling trees across the city. Over 120 firefighters from professional and volunteer units worked into the night to clear damage. A fire brigade spokesman said trees fell on cars, power lines, and roads, and underpasses were flooded. A fallen tree temporarily blocked access to a hospital campus. Around 50 incidents were logged, with no injuries reported.

In Oberbayern, a lightning strike on the Hochstaufen mountain near Bad Reichenhall ignited a forest fire. Police said rain helped the firefighting effort, but embers remained on Saturday morning. The city and fire brigade warned of "danger to life and limb" in the area.

Recovery and park closure

The Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst, the state forestry agency, announced the closure of the national park for visitors in areas between the Bastei, Rathen, Hohnstein and the Polenztal. It warned of acute danger to life from storm damage. District administrator Michael Geisler (CDU) stated that a forest access ban would be issued for Wehlen, Lohmen and Rathen at least over the weekend, citing the risk of further falling trees. He also warned of possible disruptions to the ferry service between the two sides of the Elbe at Rathen and to access routes to the Bastei.

I assume there is immediate danger to life from further falling trees.

Rescue and search operations were hampered by darkness on Friday evening. The mountain rescue service deployed drones, and a police helicopter with a thermal imaging camera searched the rocky terrain for people who might have been trapped. Emergency services resumed their work at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Storm intensity

ARD meteorologist Karsten Schwanke reported hurricane-force gusts in several locations, including 143 km/h in Schmallenberg in the Sauerland region and 118 km/h in Dingolfing in Lower Bavaria. The German Weather Service had issued severe weather warnings for large parts of Saxony and other regions, cautioning against lightning strikes, falling trees, and flying debris.