At least five people have been killed in violent storms that swept across northern Germany overnight.<br /><br />Severe thunderstorms, strong winds and torrential rain in the country’s most populous state, North Rhine Westphalia, blocked roads and forced the suspension of public transport.<br /><br />The deaths occured in the cities of Düsseldorf, Essen and Cologne.<br /><br />Gusts of up to 150 km/hr were reported at Germany’s third-largest airport in Düsseldorf. It was closed for an hour and all flights were diverted to nearby airports. <br /><br />National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said several train lines would face severe delays on Tuesday.<br /><br />The German Meteorological Service had also issued weather alerts for the states of Bremen and Lower Saxony.
