Storm 'Anna' over northern Germany in February 2002
On February, 26. the intense low 'Anna' quickly moved across England, the North Sea, northern Denmark and Sweden (Figure 1), causing severe damages in northern Germany of estimated 25 mill. Euro and leaving 3 individuals dead.
Fig. 1: 6-hourly positions and core pressure values (hPa) of 'Anna' on February 25-27
In the morning of February, 26., the south-westerly wind continously increased over north-western Germany reaching a first peak around noon, with gusts regionally up to 100 km/h during the passage of the cold front (Figure 2). After a small break the wind, turning more to the west, began to reintensify between 1 and 2 pm (local time).
Maximum 10-min means of wind speed (km/h)
120
Helgoland
List/Sylt 100 W estermakelsdorf/Fehmarn
Puttbus/Rügen
80
60 wind speed (km/h) speed wind 40
20
0 123456789101112131415161718192021222301234567 local time
Fig. 2: 10-min means of wind speed (km/h) at different stations
Over the south-eastern North Sea, the islands and adjacent German coasts as well as over northern Schleswig Holstein maximum gusts between 120 and 160 km/h were observed in the afternoon (Figures 3 and 4). Although the storm was somewhat weaker inside the country, maximum gusts up to 115 km/h were recorded in Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, the southern part of Schleswig-Holstein and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Higher wind speeds were observed on top of the mountains, like the Brocken/Harz with maximum wind gusts of 164 km/h. 160
Helgoland max. Böe (km/h) 140 max.10 min Mittel
Wind force Bft. 12 120
100
80
Wind speed in km/h 60
40
20
0 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 local time
Fig. 3: Maximum gusts and maximum 10-min means of wind speed at station Helgoland
160 max. Böe (km/h) List/Sylt max.10 min Mittel 140
Wind force Bft. 12 120
100
80
Wind speed in km/h 60
40
20
0 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 local time
Fig. 4: Maximum gusts and maximum 10-min means of wind speed at station List/Sylt
On the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the main storm activity was in the evening. Between 7 and 9 pm maximum wind gusts reached mostly 120-130 km/h, scattered up to 150 km/h. While the pressure rapidly increased (up to 10 hPa in 3 hours) and the storm decreased in the western parts of Germany in the late evening, the wind was still strong with mean speeds of 60 km/h in the coastal eastern parts up to the early morning of February, 27. Maximum Gusts on February, 26. 2002 in Germany
Station State Gust (km/h)
Brocken Saxony-Anhalt 164,2 Alte Weser Lower Saxony 157,0 Leuchtturm Kiel Schleswig-Holstein 149,8 Helgoland Schleswig-Holstein 146,9 Feldberg/Schwarzwald Baden-Wurttemberg 144,0 Sankt Peter-Ording Schleswig-Holstein 140,8 Deutsche Bucht Hamburg 139,3 Boltenhagen Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 138,6 Zugspitze Bavaria 137,5 UFS TW Ems Lower Saxony 137,5 List auf Sylt Schleswig-Holstein 135,0 Fichtelberg Saxony 134,3 Weinbiet Rhineland-Palatinate 126,0 Norderney Lower Saxony 123,8 Olpenitz Schleswig-Holstein 122,8 Westermarkelsdorf Schleswig-Holstein 121,7 Leck Schleswig-Holstein 121,0 Bremerhaven Bremen 119,9
Storms of this intensity are not unusual for the month of February. 40 years ago e.g. heavy floodings were caused by a severe storm in northern Germany, killing 315 people in Hamburg. Even stronger, but with less damage, was storm 'Vivian' exactly 12 years ago. At German coasts gusts around 150 km/h and inside the country of 130 km/h were recorded, which are still unreached by any other storm in February. Even on Germany's highest mountain, the 'Zugspitze', the highest windspeed on record was caused by this storm.
Maximum Gusts on February, 26. /27. 1990
Station Gust (km/h) Borkum 158 Leck 156 Hameln 152 Emden-Nesserland 151 Cuxhaven 150 Helgoland 149 Bremerhaven 140 Wunstorf 134 Travemünde 133 Braake (Nieders.) 133 Berus (Saarl.) 133 Essen 133 Bremen 133 Eidersperrwerk 131 Zugspitze 224