 And outside Africa, heaven rains over large parts of Germany have caused flooding and damaged homes and cars. Authorities in the city of Hagen had to deploy heavy tools to clean rubble and debris. Several districts of the town in North Rhine, Westphalia, remained close off. People tried to save their houses from damage by a wild water that changed into streams. In the city of Mannheim, the rain river flooded waterfront and turned parks into ponds with swans and ducks swimming in basketball courts. The fire brigade has to pump out numerous flooded basements. The German weather service DWD had issued a severe weather warning for parts of North Rhine, Westphalia and Rhyland, Palatinate.