In view of the flood situation, there are signs of a period of relaxation, but this will probably not last long everywhere. It is expected to remain largely dry on Thursday, as the German Weather Service (DWD) announced on Wednesday in Offenbach. “At least the amount of precipitation is limited for now, so that the flood situation on some rivers can continue to ease, albeit only slowly,” said meteorologist Adrian Leyser from the weather forecast center.
On Wednesday, the flood situation in Germany was inconsistent: In some places the situation calmed down, elsewhere it is still critical, such as in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt on the Elbe as well as in parts of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The flood situation, which is expected to be more relaxed for the time being, is unlikely to last. “With due consideration of the uncertainties, it must be stated that the risk of heavier precipitation is increasing significantly again,” said the meteorologist. “Especially in the west and northwest, the weather models indicate a lot of wet weather, which will probably cause river levels to rise quickly again.”
Climate change makes extreme weather events more likely. Potsdam climate researcher Stefan Rahmstorf wrote on
What is the flood situation in individual federal states?
Saxony and Bavaria
In Saxony, the situation remains tense, especially on the Elbe. On other rivers such as the Mulde and the Weiße Elster, the water levels fell on Wednesday. On the Elbe, the second highest alert level was 3 at the Schöna gauge on the border with the Czech Republic. In Dresden, the relevant water level of six meters had not yet been reached. The six-meter mark was predicted to be exceeded on Thursday morning. The city of Dresden had already declared alert level 3 on Tuesday evening.
According to the flood intelligence service, the flood situation in Bavaria continues to ease. On the Danube, when water levels fall, there are still small bulges in reporting level 1, as the management report said on Wednesday.
Saxony-Anhalt
In parts of Saxony-Anhalt we can breathe a sigh of relief – but the water levels on the Elbe continue to rise. No local flooding is expected in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, where the Kelbra reservoir filled up after unusually heavy rainfall. The district announced on Wednesday morning that no further evacuations would likely be necessary. The around 180 residents of the town of Thürungen had been advised to leave their homes the day before. The highest flood alert level 4 still applies to the Helme. According to the State Office for Flood Protection and Water Management, there is relief in the north of the country and in the Harz.
Thuringia
Individual residents of the town of Windehausen in northern Thuringia, which was evacuated due to flooding, can check on their houses and should open the cellars. Matthias Marquardt, mayor of the city of Heringen, to which Windehausen belongs, said this after discussions with a crisis team. The plan is for the residents of two streets in the town to first open their cellars so that pumping can begin there.
Lower Saxony
The flood situation in Lower Saxony remains tense. “The worst is over, but it is not over yet,” said a spokeswoman for the state agency for water management, coastal and nature conservation to the dpa. Water levels are expected to continue rising, especially on the Mittelweser and the upper reaches of the Aller, Leine and Oker. The city of Rinteln an der Weser has lifted the evacuation of a street due to the threat of flooding.
The flood also hit the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen hard: According to the park, large parts of the area north of Hanover are flooded and in some cases cannot be reached at all or can only be reached with Unimogs or tractors.
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North Rhine-Westphalia
The situation in North Rhine-Westphalia also remained tense on Wednesday. Despite local breaks in rain, numerous streams and rivers were still in flood. Even after Christmas, the Weser in the east of the country was most affected, as the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection announced.
Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate
The water levels in Hesse continue to fall in many places. “With a general calming of the weather, the flood situation in Hesse is gradually easing slightly today,” said the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology. On the Main, however, there is still a slight increase in water levels. The situation was similar in Rhineland-Palatinate: “Water levels are falling at the Upper Rhine gauges,” said the Rhineland-Palatinate flood forecast center on Wednesday.
Note: This article has been updated several times since it was first published.