Hurricane causes major disruptions in Germany

BERLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) Germans were told to stay indoors and many schools across the country closed early today as a rare hurricane bore down on them, seriously disrupting air and rail travel and causing at least one death on the roads.

After leaving a trail of damage in the Netherlands and the English Channel, authorities were on alert as hurricane ''Kyrill'' reached western Germany in the afternoon, uprooting trees, damaging buildings and causing major delays on roads.

In southwest Germany, one motorist was killed after he crashed into another vehicle between trying to avoid a fallen tree, police said. The other driver was seriously injured.

In the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, a train was held up when it crashed into an uprooted tree, police and national rail operator Deutsche Bahn said. Nobody was injured.

Germany's DWD meteorological service said the storm could generate winds of up to 180 km/h in high and exposed areas and as much as 130 km/h in lower-lying regions.

''What's unusual about this storm is that it will affect the whole country and not just certain zones,'' said Christoph Hartmann, a spokesman for the DWD in Offenbach.

After hitting the north and west of Germany Kyrill will sweep across the rest of the country and move eastwards into Poland, the Czech Republic and northern Austria, the DWD said.

Rain would likely continue into the weekend in affected areas, as the storm's force gradually dissipated, it added.

As Germans were warned on the radio and television to keep their cars away from trees and to stay indoors, authorities in states stretching across the length and breadth of the country said many schools were closing early due to Kyrill's arrival.

Rescue services around Germany said they had mobilized extra staff to prepare for potential flooding and destructive winds.

German airline Deutsche Lufthansa said it expected numerous flight cancellations and delays roday, while Frankfurt airport said takeoffs and landings were cut by half.

Reuters LL DB2244