Fallen trees and broken branches have buried and heavily damaged cars near Zurich
© Ennio Leanza/Keystone via APFallen trees and broken branches have buried and heavily damaged cars near Zurich.
Heavy summer thunderstorms have caused widespread damage and flooding in Germany and Switzerland.

Swiss police reported that a local airport hangar in the southern town of Magadino had partially collapsed due to strong winds and heavy rain overnight. No injuries have been reported, but several planes were damaged, the authorities said.

Meanwhile, trees were blown onto roads and rail tracks in Zurich, causing travel chaos for commuters.

Switzerland has also warned citizens that several rivers could burst their banks, while some Alpine passes were temporarily closed due to heavy snowfall.

More than 4 centimetres of rain fell on Zurich overnight and over 3.1 centimetres of rain fell in just 10 minutes on nearby Waldegg, according to broadcaster SRF.


Officials in the capital city, Bern, are preparing for possible flooding by installing floating dams.

The country's meteorological services have warned that further rain is forecast, and also urged caution of potential landslides.

In neighbouring Germany, officials have warned of "extreme storms" in the Eifel region, southwest of Cologne, due to particularly heavy rainfall.

Persistent rain in recent days has swelled rivers and the Rhine is predicted to hit the first high-water mark on Thursday or Friday, triggering restrictions to shipping.

But the wet weather has been welcomed by some forestry officials in Germany after three particularly dry summers in a row.

Euronews with agencies