Given the rapid circulation of these images, RTL reached out to Meteolux to see whether they could confirm their veracity; and whether it was indeed a tornado.
It is difficult to confirm whether it was indeed a tornado using only still images, Meteolux explained, and would be easier if they had access to video material. Still, many elements on display in the much-circulated photo do point towards it being a tornado. Thursday’s weather forecast had also put a low, but real, likelihood on the production of a tornado.
Doppler radar images also hint at weak rotations in places, specifically west of Nusbaum, at around 3.45pm on Thursday.
Local media in Germany, such as Volksfreund and lokalo.de, have provided similar reports. The roofs of a dozen or some homes were blown away, with firefighters in the region being called out to render assistance. While a weather alert was in place, this was lifted at 6pm.
