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Storm forces Kernen to cancel the festival: citizens' celebration falls apart!
Citizens' festival in Kernen im Remstal canceled: Danger of thunderstorms leads to safety measures and cancellation of the premiere of the Kernen anthem.
Storm forces Kernen to cancel the festival: citizens' celebration falls apart!
On June 2, 2025, the “Kernen celebrates” community festival, which took place to mark the 50th anniversary of the community of Kernen in the Remstal, was canceled prematurely. The demolition took place due to the acute risk of thunderstorms and in coordination between the municipal administration, the police and the German Weather Service (DWD).
Sascha Bauman, spokesman for the town hall, emphasized that the safety of the guests was the top priority. The situation was particularly explosive the evening before, when gusts of wind swept through the festival grounds at speeds of up to 80 km/h. Tents were blown up to 50 meters and beer benches flew through the air, further increasing the risks.
Weather warnings and thunderstorm fronts
The German Weather Service had already warned of short-term thunderstorm cells that threatened the event on Sunday morning. Severe thunderstorms with squalls and hail with a diameter of up to 2 cm were forecast for the afternoon. The 1.5 kilometer long festival mile, which had to do without permanent buildings, posed a particular challenge for possible evacuation measures.
At around 1 p.m. a new thunderstorm front formed, which dramatically worsened the situation. The DWD assessed the situation as serious and warned of heavy rain, hail and an increased risk of lightning. Mayor Benedikt Paulowitsch emphasized the necessity of the demolition and pointed out that the premiere of the new “Kernen Anthem” also had to be canceled. During an ecumenical service, a tent at the altar stage was destroyed by a gust, but fortunately there were no injuries.
Autumnal storm warnings in Germany
The DWD has issued alarms about the weather conditions not only for Kernen, but also for large parts of Germany. There is a risk of squalls and thunderstorms across the entire northern half of Germany, while persistent, continuous rain is expected in regions such as Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia. Areas in the southwestern and central low mountain ranges are particularly affected, where up to 100 liters of precipitation per square meter is possible.
These unstable weather conditions result from a low pressure complex over the North Sea, which brings moist and mild air masses to Germany. The severe weather warnings not only affect the Remstal, but also other regions, although the weather situation is sometimes classified as alarming. Given such forecasts, the safety of citizens and timely response to weather warnings is essential to minimize the risk of damage and injury.