Tornado causes widespread damage in German town; 1 killed by falling roof in Hamburg storm

Fire fighters and helpers clear debris a day after a heavy storm hit the town of Buetzow, northeastern Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2015. A heavy storm caused substantial damage in northern Germany. (Jens Buettner/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

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Two fire fighters stand in front of a car buried under parts of a roof after a storm hit the city of Hamburg, northern Germany, Tuesday, May 5 2015. One man was killed in the accident and a pregnant woman suffered serious injuries. A heavy storm caused substantial damage in northern Germany on Tuesday. (Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

Local residents clear debris a day after a heavy storm hit the town of Buetzow, northeastern Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2015. A heavy storm caused substantial damage in northern Germany. (Jens Buettner/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

BERLIN – A tornado has caused widespread damage in a small town in northeastern Germany, ripping off most of a church roof and covering streets in debris. Elsewhere, a man was killed by flying debris.

Storms hit much of Germany on Tuesday evening after an unusually hot day. In Hamburg, police said Wednesday that a 26-year-old man was fatally injured when he was hit by a roof swept off by gusts of wind. His pregnant partner was seriously injured.

The most spectacular damage was caused further east by a rare tornado in the town of Buetzow. Three-quarters of a church's roof was swept away, trees were knocked over and cars destroyed, the dpa news agency reported.

Streets were strewn with cracked bricks, which mayor Christian Grueschow said "shot down like projectiles."