Several warnings were issued by the German Weather Service (DWD), which warned of heavy and persistent rainfall that could stretch until Thursday. 

On Tuesday morning, level two amber weather warnings were in place for a large part of the country, with some places on level three red alert as the map below shows. 

Forecasters said the fresh rainfall would likely exacerbate the situation in regions already badly affected by flooding caused by days of rain and melting snow.

Emergency services have been working continuously to try and alleviate the high water situation. Lower Saxony, parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia and the south of Saxony-Anhalt have been hit particularly hard.

READ ALSO: What parts of Germany are hardest hit by flooding?

A major flood warning was in place for the Leine, the Allert, and the Upper and Middle Weser regions among others.

The Bavarian Flood Intelligence Service (HND) said the risk of flooding would increase in the coming days, particularly in the Rhön, Franconian Forest, Fichtelgebirge and Bavarian Forest areas.

They said the risks are highest in the north and east of the southern state, warning of possible issues in several districts, including Coburg, Kronach, Lichtenfels, Forchheim as well as in the city and district of Bamberg. Fürth, Nuremberg, Schwabach and Roth could also be affected, among other spots. 

It could also snow heavily in eastern Bavaria, while gusts of up to 110km per hour and black ice expected at higher altitudes.

‘Better equipment needed’

On New Year’s Eve, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), travelled to parts of northern Germany hit by flooding, urging the country “to close ranks” in the face of challenges posed by nature and climate change. 

A day later on Monday, Interior Ministry Nancy Faeser (SPD) visited Lower Saxony, promising support to affected areas.

Faeser expressed her fears over the continuous rain forecast. “That makes the situation more difficult,” she said.

According to the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), around 1,000 volunteers were deployed across Germany at the turn of the year in the states affected by floods.

Emergency crews and volunteers are particularly concerned about weakened embankments at rivers. 

The German Red Cross (DRK) called for better preparation.

“We need more and better equipment for disasters in Germany,” DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

“The deficits are glaring, especially in terms of material equipment.”

High water defences became a political hot topic after the flood disaster in Germany’s Ahr Valley and surrounding areas in the summer of 2021.

More than 180 people died in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in July of that year. 

READ ALSO: Flood anniversary prompts sadness and soul-searching in Germany