Storms batter Germany, leave 6 dead

Authorities say at least six people have died in western Germany as heavy rains, hail and high winds battered the region.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia was worst hit by heavy storms in Germany on Monday evening, following a holiday weekend of scorching sunshine.

Police said two men and a woman who had sought refuge in a garden house were killed late Monday when a large tree fell on the building, the dpa news agency reported Tuesday. Firefighters were able to rescue six others, who were taken to hospitals.

Police say two bicyclists were killed when hit by falling tree limbs in separate incidents in Cologne and Krefeld, and a man in Essen collapsed and died as he was working to clear debris from a street.

Public transport was badly hit in much of North Rhine-Westphalia on Tuesday morning, and authorities urged people to avoid Duesseldorf, where trains, roads and the airport were all affected.