On alert

Danger of flooding: Austria’s neighbors are also in trouble

The emergency services are preparing for the threat of flooding in the coming days.

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel/Pressefoto Scharinger © Daniel Scharinger)

Austria's eastern neighbors are now also in a state of alarm: continuous rainfall on Friday in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic increased concerns that rivers could burst their banks. The situation could also worsen in Germany.

"We are preparing for the worst-case scenarios," said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in the capital Prague, referring to the prevailing extreme weather conditions. The situation is devastating: statistically speaking, such severe floods only occur once a century. 

People urged to be careful
In view of the persistent rainfall in Central Europe, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are preparing for possible flooding. In Poland, Deputy Interior Minister Wieslaw Lesniakiewicz has called on the population to take precautionary measures.

Accordingly, "people who live near rivers on the first floor should prepare for flooding", Lesniakiewicz told the radio station Rmf.fm. Garages should be cleared and cars parked in a safe place.

He also warned of possible interruptions to drinking water and electricity supplies. The Polish Meteorological Institute has issued a flood warning for several voivodeships in the south and southwest of the country, including Lower Silesia, Opole, Silesia and Lesser Poland.

Bratislava has a long history of flooding, which has repeatedly challenged the city.

(Bild: EPA)

Rainfall of up to 150 liters per square meter is expected in these regions. As a precautionary measure, "the army and uniformed services have been put on standby", according to Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Critical situation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
In the Czech Republic, the government has already convened a crisis team. In order to create capacity for the expected masses of water, the outflow from the dams on the Vltava has been significantly increased. In Prague, protective walls are being erected in the historic city center.

The Czech weather service has extended its warnings of heavy to extreme rainfall to most of the country, with particularly critical conditions expected in the east of the Czech Republic.

The Slovakian authorities are planning targeted flooding of areas to prevent flooding in the capital Bratislava. This measure is being taken due to the expected flood of the century on the border river Morava.

Due to the extreme weather conditions, attention in the eastern parts of Germany is now also turning to the weather situation in neighboring countries.

Alarm also in eastern Germany
Heavy rainfall is expected in Germany, especially in the Alps and the eastern low mountain ranges. The German Weather Service is forecasting rainfall of up to 100 liters per square meter on the edge of the Alps and up to 70 liters per square meter in eastern Saxony, the Ore Mountains and Lower Lusatia.

In the eastern parts of Germany, the situation in neighboring countries is being closely monitored, as flooding of the Elbe and Oder rivers is possible.