Germany's Storm Niklas one of the biggest 'in years'
Germany has been battered by gale force winds as Storm Niklas leaves destruction in its wake and thousands of people stranded as they are unable to travel by train.
Most powerful storm 'in years'
With winds peaking at 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) per hour, Storm Niklas gave Germany a battering on Tuesday. German weather service meteorologists say Niklas is one of the most powerful storms of recent years to hit the country.
Massive, continous downpour
The national weather service, Deutsche Wetter Dienst (DWD), said continuous rain caused flooding in some parts of central and southern Germany. The heavy downpour also removed top soil, causing trees and structures to collapse.
Trail of destruction
The storm has left a trail of destruction across the country, uprooting trees, ripping tiles from roofs and also severely damaging buildings.
Stranded at the station
Tuesday's storm caused serious problems for many train users. Long-distance trains in Lower-Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg experienced long delays and cancellations the German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn said Tuesday. Local trains were also shut down in several states.
Delay on the tracks
The storm has cut a major continual rail artery from Paris to Budapest with tracks knocked out between Munich and Augsburg when trees fell on overhead power lines.
Zugspitze cops storm's force
The southern German state of Bavaria bore the brunt of Storm Niklas. Extreme gale-force winds of up to 164 kilometers an hour were registered this morning on the Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany which can also be found in Bavaria.
Easter to be cold and wet
The DWD has warned Storm Niklas will mean this year's Easter holidays will be wet and cold as a polar weather cell makes its way from northern Germany.