Two people have died amid severe storms in Germany, with two confirmed tornadoes causing serious damage, authorities said on Thursday.
More severe storms could be on the way, particularly in the southern states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, the German Weather Service (DWD) warned.
In Waldorf, in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a 58-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree and a 47-year-old woman was seriously injured, police said.
The two women had been out walking together when the storm approached and sought shelter in a covered seating area. A nearby tree was uprooted by the storm and crashed onto the shelter, hitting both women.
The 58-year-old died at the scene, while the 47-year-old was taken to hospital.
Elsewhere in Rhineland-Palatinate, the storm tore walls from houses and felled trees, while falling facade elements and flying debris caused further damage.
Further east, in a village in the Thuringian Forest, a father was struck by falling tree branches and died from his injuries, district administrator Onno Eckert said.
The incident took place early on Thursday in the rural village of Georgenthal following a storm.
According to a police spokesman, the 40-year-old man was on his way to nursery with his child when the incident occurred. The child was reportedly unharmed.
Authorities also confirmed two tornadoes, including one just 30 minutes from Berlin.
A tornado struck overnight in town of Fürstenwalde, east of the German capital, the DWD confirmed. Several videos posted on social media also showed the rare phenomenon.
Police in Potsdam said the storm caused damage in the area, including trees falling onto cars. No injuries had been reported.
Several trees were uprooted and at least one building lost its roof. One photo showed a tree trunk protruding through the ceiling of a residential building's kitchen.
Several people were injured, Mayor Matthias Rudolph said on Thursday. "It surprised everyone," he said.
A second tornado struck the area around Wetzlar in the central state of Hesse on Wednesday evening, the DWD confirmed. The weather service said it was still assessing the tornado's strength.
Around 60 homes were damaged in Wetzlar, according to the fire brigade. Damage ranged from missing roof tiles to entire roofs being torn off, with some roof sections blown as far as 100 metres.
In nearby Laubach, a falling tree damaged a gas tank at a residential building. The surrounding area was evacuated within a radius of 200 metres after gas began leaking.
There were also numerous weather-related emergency callouts overnight in the states of Thuringia and Bavaria. Damage ranged from missing roof tiles to entire roofs being torn from buildings, leaving some homes uninhabitable.
