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WEATHER

Floodwaters heading towards Germany

Deadly floods that have hit eastern and central Europe are expected to reach Germany over the weekend though with less intensity, authorities said on Wednesday.

Published: 19 May 2010 17:39 CEST
Floodwaters heading towards Germany
Bundeswehr officials check Oder dikes on Wednesday in Brandenburg. Photo: DPA

High water will reach the German section of the Oder River in the eastern state of Brandenburg over the Pentecost holiday weekend, according to projections based on measurements near Racibórz, the most southerly water gauge on the Polish section of the river.

Levels there remained high but constant on both Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Brandenburg state environmental agency. At 8.84 metres high, they are still about 1.6 metres below levels that caused devastating floods in 1997.

Though upriver gauges in central Poland water showed levels above high water warning levels on Tuesday, the Brandenburg agency said it did not expect an equally bad surge by the time the floodwaters reach Germany.

Heavy rains near the Oder headwaters and beyond have been blamed for massive flooding in southern Poland. In Krakow hundreds of people had to be rescued after a dam on the Vistula River broke.

Meanwhile at least seven people were reported dead and thousand left without electricity or evacuated in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Hungary.

Click here for The Local’s weather forecast.

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WEATHER

Winter weather returns to Germany after spring heat spell

Temperatures in Germany almost hit 30C in the last few weeks. But winter-like weather is well and truly back, with snow in some places.

Published: 19 April 2024 12:42 CEST
Winter weather returns to Germany after spring heat spell

Many people in Germany will have already packed away their winter clothes as spring has seen high temperatures and lots of sun.

But a cosy hoody and jacket will be needed again.

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), a blast of polar air has been moving in bringing ice, rain and sleet that is turning to snow, particularly at higher altitudes. 

But lower-lying spots have also seen hailstones and snow showers. People in Munich dealt with snow on Thursday as temperatures fell. High temperatures ranged from 4C in Oberallgäu to 12C in Lower Franconia

In a post on X, the DWD described it as Aprilschmuddelwetter — Schmuddelwetter translates to “mucky” or “foul weather” and is often used in Germany in spring when there’s lots of rain.

The DWD said: “April foul weather on Friday: Widespread rain, snow in high mountain areas. In the afternoon, partly heavy sleet showers from the north-west, isolated thunderstorms. In addition, stormy winds in places. Temperatures will barely reach double figures.”

On Thursday, the DWD shared a photo with tulips poking out from the snow in Neuhaus am Rennweg in Thuringia and said it was symbolic of the current weather situation.

The low pressure system moving in from the North Sea was bringing more widespread rain, thunderstorms and hail on Friday. 

In Berlin temperatures hovered around 7C on Friday during the day with continuous rain. It was around 5C in Erfurt and 8C in Kiel. 

In western Germany, it was slightly less cool with temperatures reaching 10C – but torrential rain was forecast. 

Changeable weather with showers was forecast on Saturday, while some sunshine in the north and east of Germany was expected on Sunday. 

At night, there is a risk of frost, ice and freezing rain in the coming days in spots where the temperature drops.

This comes after a series of storms and strong winds lashed the country earlier this week.

READ ALSO: Storms and high winds hit Germany

Just a few days before that, Germany was bathed in sunshine as temperatures climbed up to nearly 30C.

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