BERLIN - extremely severe weather with the most violent thunderstorms for decades have battered the German capital Wednesday night. Seven people, two of them children, were killed by uprooted trees.

Extreme temperature differerences over a short distance preceeded the violent squall line and formation of at least three supercells. Chilly 13C were measured near Cologne, while temperatures around the Berlin-Brandenburg area reached from 31C to 35C. Temperature difference of 19degC was measured between Kassel (Hessia) and Berlin with the two towns only some 270 km apart.

Several 'gustnadoes' - violent dust and debris swirls associated to severe weather - were reported throughout the city.

The storm was so strong that people had to hold on to streetlights outside Zoo station

the main train station in central Berlin, a witness said. The strongest gust reached 152 kph measured at a station near Lake Wannsee.

A twin engine Crossair plane crashed during an emergency landing after running out of fuel. Coming from Basel (Switzerland) the plane failed to land at its original destination, because Hamburg-Fuhlsbuettel airport was closed due to the severe weather. Alternative airports of Bremen, Hannover and Berlin-Tegel were also closed to traffic and eventually the pilot had to land at Warneuchen (Brandenburg), a former military airfield. Virtually running on fumes the pilot barely reached the runway and crashed during his attempt to stop the plane. All passengers and crew escaped unharmed.