The next big European Championship party has fallen victim to the weather, at least in parts of Germany. During the DFB team’s round of 16 match against Denmark on Saturday, many fans had to go home early – the Dortmund venue was particularly badly hit. The match was temporarily interrupted due to hail, heavy rain and a thunderstorm. After a forced break of around 25 minutes, play continued in the stadium, but the public viewing events were cancelled early.
Tobias Reinartz, a meteorologist at the German Weather Service in Offenbach, had already explained on Saturday afternoon that going there was not advisable. “It can be very dangerous if you are outside.” Public viewing in Gelsenkirchen also had to be cancelled. The reason was a thunderstorm front with gusts of wind force 9, the city announced. Fences were reportedly damaged and posters flew through the air. The city of Frankfurt took action early on and announced that the fan zone would remain closed for the entire Saturday.
“Extension not recommended”
The impending danger was known in Dortmund. However, the forecast initially only indicated a strong thunderstorm towards the end of the game. “Extending the game would probably not be advisable, and not just from a meteorological point of view,” explained Reinartz. (dpa)
