Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

WEATHER

Roads dangerous with more snow on the way

Motorists in Germany had to contend with snow and wintry driving conditions on Tuesday morning, as meteorologists forecast up to 40 centimetres of snow in some areas.

Published: 17 February 2009 08:34 CET

Roads dangerous with more snow on the way

Photo: DPA

Closed streets, jackknifed semi trucks, and two fatalities plagued German roads throughout the night as heavy snowfall hammered the country for a second night. While traffic in northern and western Germany was a bit more manageable due to higher temperatures, there were numerous accidents in the southern part of the country.

Icy roads in upper Bavaria near Haag killed one driver in a head on collision with a semi truck on the B12 motorway. Another driver was seriously injured in the accident. Another head on collision between a car and a bus left another 25-year-old driver dead in Deisenhausen in the same state, police reported.

In the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg several buildings were damaged by cars sliding out of control near Crailsheim. And near Karlsruhe large trucks struggled to stay on the road on the B36, which police said was littered with overturned vehicles.

The German Weather Service (DWD) predicted “lots of snow” in higher altitudes and the Black Forest region, with a thick blanket of up to 20 centimetres of snow in the Alps. The southern Allgäu region could get up to 40 centimetres, DWD said.

Western Germany can expect snow or rain as cloud cover eases throughout the day. Northern and eastern Germany will have clear skies by evening after snow ends there. Temperatures will likely remain around zero degrees Celsius, DWD said.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

German communities brace for flooding as water levels continue to rise

As several countries in Europe face the devastating aftermath of severe flooding following torrential rain, communities in some regions of Germany are trying to manage rising water levels.

According to a forecast by the state flood centre, the water on the Elbe river has not yet reached expected peaks. In the city of Dresden, the Elbe rose above the six-metre mark on Wednesday. There, as well as in Schöna on the border with the Czech Republic, the flood peak is expected on Thursday.

There is a cautious all-clear along other rivers in the east and south of Germany. Further north, however, Brandenburg is looking anxiously at the Oder river, which is expected to bring more water in the coming days.

READ ALSO: Parts of Germany hit by flooding as torrential rain wreaks havoc across central Europe

Flood crisis teams are due to meet in Frankfurt (Oder), located at the border with Poland, and other municipalities in Brandenburg on Thursday. A level 1 flood alert was issued for sections of the river on Wednesday.

According to the State Office for the Environment, floodplains and meadows close to the banks are expected to start flooding, with the areas of the Oder village of Ratzdorf to Eisenhüttenstadt particularly affected.

The state office believes the highest alert level – level 4 – with a water level of around six metres will be reached in the next few days near Ratzdorf, where the Oder reaches Brandenburg territory.

Clean-up work underway in central and eastern Europe

In the flood-hit areas from Poland to the Czech Republic and Austria, the clean-up work has now begun, but the situation is only slowly easing.

In many places, the emergency services are still struggling with masses of water. Soldiers are also providing support in Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the authorities are not yet giving the all-clear. So far, more than 20 people have tragically lost their lives in the region due to the extreme weather.

In the Polish city of Wroclaw in the west of the country, the flood wave was not expected until Thursday night. As several tributaries that also carry a lot of water flow into the Oder between Olawa and Wroclaw, the possibility of flooding in the Lower Silesian metropolis cannot be ruled out, said an expert.

Flooding in Bresgau Poland

A drone captures the high water levels in Bresgau, Poland, on September 19th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/PAP | Maciej Kulczynski

Flood defences in Wroclaw have been reinforced as a precautionary measure. One third of the city of 630,000 inhabitants was flooded during the Oder flood in 1997.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Poland on Thursday afternoon. According to the EU Commission, the trip is being organised at the invitation of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are also expected to attend the meeting.

The talks are likely to focus on the question of funds from Brussels for reconstruction although the extent of the damage is still unclear.

With reporting from DPA

SHOW COMMENTS

Url copied to clipboard!