One killed, 40 injured as tornado hits Germany

Berlin: At least one man was killed while 40 others sustained injuries after an apparent tornado raked several towns along violent storms buffeting western Germany.  

According to details, a 38-year-old man in the far-western town of Wittgert died of head injuries sustained when he fell after suffering an electric shock in a flooded cellar. 

Images on social media showed an apparent tornado with its distinctive spinning cyclone flinging debris through the air, though the German Weather Service did not immediately confirm a tornado had occurred.

Police said up to 40 people had been injured in Paderborn, a town of some 150,000 half-way between Frankfurt and Hamburg. 

Moreover, railway and road transport were also disrupted throughout the region.

Police posted images showing trees felled or split in half, as well as roofs that had been swept clean of tiles by the winds in Paderborn. 

Countless roofs are uncovered or damaged, hence, the authorities urged people to stay at home. 

Earlier, the German Weather Service warned that the stormy weather was set to continue.

Meteorologists said the extreme weather was caused by hot air coming from Africa meeting relatively cooler air moving down from northern Europe.