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Rose Monday carnival parade in Cologne kicks off despite storm warnings

Xinhua, February 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The carnival parade on Rose Monday, the religious Christian holiday that falls before Ash Wednesday, kicked off on Monday as scheduled in the western German city of Cologne despite storm warnings.

However, several Rose Monday carnival parades in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia were canceled, as the German weather service (DWD) predicted stormy gusts or squalls of magnitude 8 or 9 for the area.

"We expect for the morning wind force 8 to 9, in the afternoon partly strength 10," as a meteorologist at the DWD said.

The Duesseldorf carnival committee announced on its website it would reschedule its Rose Monday carnival parade, whereas the Cologne Rose Monday carnival parade took place "under preventive safeguards," according to its festival committee.

"Horses and horse carts will be removed from the entire parade for safety reasons. Large-scale figures, signs and flags cannot be carried along," the Cologne carnival festival committee said on its website.

The annual Cologne carnival reaches its climax on Rose Monday. This year, up to a million spectators are expected to line the streets, while over 10,000 participants and around 100 floats will take part in the carnival parade. Endit