In some parts of northern and central Europe, heavy rains in the past few days have caused new floods. Rivers burst their banks in many places and flooded settlements, forcing residents to be evacuated in several directions.
Villages in Germany were flooded
Thanks to Christmas rain, flooding of rivers and inland waters – which has caused severe damage to agricultural areas – has become a problem in many places in the Netherlands. Rivers threaten several cities. In Deventer, for example, sandbags are already being used to protect themselves due to the rising water levels in the IJssel River.
In central Germany, many people were evacuated from their homes due to floods, but the situation is worse in the eastern part of the country, around the city of Dresden.
I reported about this German waveIts coverage revealed that the water level of the Elbe River in this area is 6 meters higher than usual.
In Lower Saxony in the northwest and in Thuringia in the central part of the country, some settlements had to be partially evacuated due to dangerously high water levels. Germany's disaster management body (BBK) also warned of the risk of flooding in other parts of the country, especially in the provinces of North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony.
Due to disastrous tourism, BBK has asked residents to stay away from the waterfront and flood protection facilities.
The black soup comes only after that
Meteorologists warn that the worst is yet to come. According to weather forecasts, melting snow and rain may cause more problems across Europe. Wet dams were also breached in several places.
Floods in Ireland, the Benelux countries, Germany, the Czech Republic, northern Italy and parts of France are causing headaches for locals.
Weather difficulties also affect transport: river floods make underpasses impassable in many places, and cause complications in rail transport. For example, on the railway line between Hannover and Magdeburg, express trains run with steering.
The Danube is already receding near Budapest, but there is still a level of preparedness
The Danube River is slowly and continuously receding in Budapest, and in the parts above the capital, the water level in the capital may fall below the level of the Budapest Pier on Friday evening, the National Water Directorate General (OVF) announced.
In Nagybajcs, the subsidence is very slow, and the water level is expected to fall below the first readiness level on Friday. In the Komarom and Esztergom area, according to data on Friday morning, the water level was not disturbed, in Komarom on Saturday morning, and in Esztergom, if appropriate, on Saturday evening, the water level could fall below the first readiness level.
The Danube River reached its peak in Budapest, with the highest water level measured at 693cm at 8pm on Wednesday. The water level reached 664 centimeters on Friday afternoon, and the water level is expected to drop below the sidewalk level in the late evening hours.
A significant rise in water levels in the local section of the Danube River is not expected in the coming days. Thanks to the rain-free weather, tides continue to recede on the Tisza River and its tributaries, and a noticeable rise in water levels is not expected until the middle of next week, the OVF said.
(Cover photo: Thuringia Mönchpfevel-Nikolausreith on December 29, 2023. Photo: Heiko Rebisch/Getty Images)
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