The education minister in North Rhine-Westphalia has urged parents to keep children at home due to high winds.
ADVERTISEMENTSchools will be shut in Germany’s most populous state on Thursday due to warnings of severe storms.
The education minister for North Rhine-Westphalia ordered students to stay home to avoid being caught “in the eye of the storm”.
Yvonne Gebauer also urged parents to also keep kindergarten kids at home Thursday, if possible.
Germany’s national weather service DWD has warned that a storm sweeping in from the northwest could bring gusts up to 120 kilometres per hour.
After a brief lull, a second storm is expected to hit northern Germany on Friday, it added.
Berlin’s two zoos have said they will close on Thursday as a precaution, citing the potential risk caused by falling branches.
However, Borussia Dortmund's UEFA Europa League match against Rangers is still expected to go ahead on Thursday evening.
"We are keeping an eye on the situation and are in communication with UEFA and our organisation department," a club spokesman said on Wednesday.