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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Lili Bayer

Europe floods: death toll rises – as it happened

Europe Police Poland Austria Czech Republic Romania the Czech Republic
A swollen river in Bělá pod Pradědem in the Czech Republic.
A swollen river in Bělá pod Pradědem in the Czech Republic. Photograph: Michal Čížek/AFP/Getty Images

Summary of the day

  • The death toll in Central Europe rose to at least 15 due to heavy rain and flooding over the past days.

  • While water was receding in some areas, others were shoring up defences.

  • Poland introduced a 30-day “state of natural disaster”.

  • Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, said that “in difficult times, we are grateful for the friendship and solidarity of our neighbours and friends.”

  • The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said that the country set aside 1 billion zlotys ($260.31 million) to help victims of floods.

  • The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, said that the situation is difficult.

  • Hungary’s Viktor Orbán said he was postponing “all my international obligations” due to the floods.

  • Factories in the region shuttered production lines.

  • The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that “we need a united and decisive European response to adapt to the escalating challenges of the climate crisis.”

  • Climate scientists said they are troubled by the damage but unsurprised by the intensity. “The catastrophic rainfall hitting central Europe is exactly what scientists expect with climate change,” said Joyce Kimutai, of Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute.

Meanwhile, the EU is mobilising firefighting planes to help Portugal battle wildfires.

Climate scientists troubled by damage from floods ravaging central Europe

Picturesque towns across central Europe are inundated by dirty flood water after heavy weekend rains turned tranquil streams into raging rivers that wreaked havoc on infrastructure.

The floods have killed at least 15 people and destroyed buildings from Austria to Romania. The destruction comes after devastating floods around the world last week when entire villages were submerged in Myanmar and nearly 300 prisoners escape a collapsed jail in Nigeria, where floods have affected more than 1 million people.

Climate scientists say they are troubled by the damage but unsurprised by the intensity.

“The catastrophic rainfall hitting central Europe is exactly what scientists expect with climate change,” said Joyce Kimutai, of Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute.

She said the death and damage across Africa and Europe highlighted “how poorly prepared the world is for such floods”.

Read the full story here.

The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said “we need a united and decisive European response to adapt to the escalating challenges of the climate crisis.”

Austria’s Karl Nehammer said “in difficult times, we are grateful for the friendship and solidarity of our neighbours and friends.”

“Bavaria, Slovenia, South Tyrol, The Netherlands, Liechtenstein and Ukraine have offered help in the fight against the consequences of the floods in Austria. Thank you very much, you are true friends!” he added.

While water was receding in some areas, others were shoring up defences for floods heading their way.

The Topola reservoir in southern Poland had overflowed and water was gushing towards the village of Kozielno. Local authorities said residents of several nearby towns and villages would be evacuated. In Wroclaw, in the south-western region of Silesia, the mayor Jacek Sutryk said the city of 600,000 people was preparing for water levels peaking on Wednesday.

Slovakia’s capital Bratislava and the Hungarian capital Budapest were both preparing for possible flooding as the River Danube rose.

Hungarian interior minister Sandor Pinter said efforts were focused on keeping the river and its tributaries within their banks and said up to 12,000 soldiers were on standby to help.

In Austria, the levels of rivers and reservoirs fell overnight as rain eased but officials said they were bracing for a second wave as heavier rain was expected.

Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, said a disaster fund is available to handle damage.

300 million euros can be accessed immediately, and if more is needed, the fund will be increased, he said.

Hungarian opposition politician Péter Magyar said national unity is needed as the country braces for flooding, writing that Viktor Orbán, the prime minister, made the right call to cancel his planned travel to the European parliament.

Updated

Here’s more footage from the region.

The Green group in the European parliament said “these floods show that more than ever our fight against climate change is a common social and economic challenge we must tackle together.”

Poland is introducing a 30-day “state of natural disaster”.

The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, has provided an update on the situation in his country, writing that the situation is difficult.

The most problematic situation is now in southern Bohemia, he said.

Ostrava residents have been asked not to go to the city.

Updated

The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said that the country set aside 1 billion zlotys ($260.31 million) to help victims of floods, Reuters reported.

Updated

Here are the latest images from the region.

Germany’s Olaf Scholz said his country is ready to help European neighbours impacted by the floors.

He also said water levels are rising in Germany and the situation is being closely monitored.

Death toll rises further in Central Europe

The death toll in central Europe has risen as more rivers burst their banks.

Six people have died in Romania.

Five have reportedly died in Poland.

A total of three people have died in Austria: one firefighter died over the weekend and two people were found drowned in their homes, Reuters reported.

One person has died in the Czech Republic.

Updated

The floods in Europe are just one of a number of extreme weather events around the world in the last few days.

Floods have also been devastating western and central Africa, with hundreds estimated to have died. Meanwhile in Southeast Asia Typhoon Yagi has been causing havoc, with at least 300,000 people displaced in Myanmar following heavy rains.

Although these specific events cannot be definitively attributed to climate change, it’s well established now that extreme rainfall is more common and more intense because of human-caused climate breakdown across most of the world, particularly in Europe, most of Asia, central and eastern North America, and parts of South America, Africa and Australia. This is because warmer air can hold more water vapour.

Flooding has most likely become more frequent and severe in these locations as a result, but is also affected by human factors, such as the existence of flood defences and land use.

Human-caused climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather across the world, driving more frequent and more deadly disasters from heatwaves to floods to wildfires.

At least a dozen of the most serious events of the last decade would have been all but impossible without human-caused global heating.

Updated

Watch footage from Central Europe, which has been hit with torrential rain and flooding.

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who was scheduled to speak at the European parliament this week, said he is postponing “all my international obligations” due to the ongoing floods.

Two more people died in Austria, the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, said.

Factories and stores across central Europe shuttered production lines and closed their doors today due to flooding, Reuters reported.

Late yesterday, the Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, reiterated his call for people to follow instructions from mayors and emergency services.

Karl Nehammer, the Austrian chancellor, has said that the Austrian armed forces have been deployed in storm-hit regions and that 2,400 soldiers are on standby to help fill sandbags, evacuate people or do clean-up work.

Updated

Here are some images of the flooding in Poland.

The Hungarian defence forces are deploying equipment to support flood protection efforts.

One dead, seven missing in Czech Republic: police

Czech police has said that one person died and seven are missing amid flooding, AFP reported.

Death toll rises amid widespread flooding in central Europe

The death toll rose in central Europe over the weekend after severe flooding impacted the region, the Associated Press reported.

Six people died in Romania, one person in Austria and one person in Poland, while police in the Czech Republic said four people were missing.

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