storm
Heavy rainfall in Tyrol – record water levels
Due to the continuous rain, the Ziller river in the Tyrolean Zillertal has risen sharply. photo
© Alexandra Schuler/dpa
After the continuous rain of the last few days, many river levels in Austria are rising. The federal state of Tyrol is currently particularly affected. The water is also rising on the Inn in Germany.
Heavy rains have fallen in the Austrian federal state Tirol has led to water levels in streams and rivers that have not been seen in decades. The Ötztal is particularly affected, some communities can no longer be reached, said Prime Minister Anton Mattle (ÖVP) in Innsbruck. In the Zillertal, the Ziller carried enormous masses of water. A total of around 4,000 firefighters are deployed. In many places there was local flooding and traffic obstructions, including rail traffic.
Thanks to the warnings from meteorologists, Mattle said they were not unprepared. In the provincial capital of Innsbruck, for example, the mobile flood protection wall was installed at an early stage. The bad weather front had pulled away faster than expected, said the head of state. This indicates at least a slight relaxation. “We probably got off lightly.” The reservoirs built years ago, which could store the water, were very helpful in this situation.
Flood warnings also in Bavaria
According to the flood news service, residents on the Inn in Bavaria also have to prepare for flooding in the coming hours. A corresponding warning for built-up areas was issued on Monday for the districts of Mühldorf am Inn and Rosenheim and for the city of Rosenheim. In Wasserburg am Inn even the highest reporting level four can be exceeded. The city administration there announced on Monday that the necessary precautions would be taken on the basis of the associated deployment plan.
According to the city of Rosenheim, bike paths and sidewalks near Mangfall and Inn were already flooded in the early afternoon. The water management office there expects the Inn to reach its highest level after midnight in the afternoon. “At the moment we are assuming that the flood situation will be tense but stable,” said Rosenheim’s Mayor Andreas March (CSU). “However, the situation can change hourly.”
The flood news service also warned of overflowing on the Danube – but initially mainly away from built-up areas. But even there an increase in levels up to reporting level three is possible.
Meanwhile, the continuous rain in southern Bavaria continued. The German Weather Service warns of continuous rain in the southern half of the Free State and in the Upper Palatinate until Tuesday evening. How the flood situation develops depends heavily on the effect of the rainfall, the flood news service said. The precipitation will probably only subside on Wednesday night.
Heavy rain and storms sweep across western Slovenia
There were also storms in western Slovenia. Heavy rains and storms have swept across the Adriatic coast and western Slovenia from Italy. In the coastal city of Koper, gusts of wind tore off the roofs of a stadium and a school, the STA news agency reported. In the border town of Tolmin, houses and cellars were flooded. The storm continued to move to northern and central Slovenia. At the beginning of the month, torrential rains triggered a flooding disaster of historic proportions. The Slovenian government now estimates the damage at five billion euros.